TCOT Envious Enemy
by startwriting
Summary: Someone comes to challenge PM. Obviously, he needs the people he works with to find the solution. And the one he needs most isn't there. Why? Epilogue now added ...
1. Prologue

After some MM's and ATC's, I thought I'd take up a story. I want to play with the characters for a while, and then return them safely.

Timeframe: after _TCOT Musical Murder_, before _TCOT All Star Assassin_.

Let me know what you think.

**The Case Of The Envious Enemy**

**Prologue**

He couldn't sleep of course. Adrenaline blocked melatonine. He knew how it worked, but knowing about it didn't cure the insomnia.

The solution to this one was there to grasp, yet he couldn't see it. As he sighed frustrated and wearily, he climbed in his bed, damning his knee and damning his tired mind. At times like this, Della would usually wake up, switch on the light and turn her attention to him completely. Noticing his 'casefever' as she used to call this state of mind, she'd force him to talk to her and she'd ask him questions: Which tracks are you following? Which one do you think is most important? What does your mind say? What does your gut say?

Sometimes he'd say he didn't know, and her next question would be 'What would it be if you did know?' She conducted the process of his thinking, always getting more details out of him, reaching into his subconscious, filtering information her way, giving it back to him to mold it into his carefully constructed timeline, twisting and turning until he saw the truth and the solution. Her hands would be on his face. Her eyes would be flashing to him. She would not take 'no' for an answer. She'd observe him, check his eyes and their movement to see him resolving and solving, and then she'd let him sleep in her arms, while his unconscious mind did the rest of the thinking, preparing for court. Her soft body being a safe haven for his still feverish, but now efficiently processing mind.

He needed this safe haven very much right now.

And that was exactly the point. She wasn't here.

Of course he would have her back, of course noone could ever take her away from him, he knew that. But in the past, there had always been something he could actually do about it himself. Now, he just had to wait for others to do what they were told to do. His mind was still working overtime in the oldfashioned way, yet his body was too old to run after her, to kick in doors, to seek her and find her himself. He could accept growing older, he had noticed his physical power and energy diminishing along the years. He accepted his aging, but only on one condition, being that Della Street was on his side.

Now that she wasn't, he felt utterly lost. He took her pillow, inhaled her scent, and tried to get some rest.

He was dozing off just a little, when the phone next to his head on the other pillow rang.

He instantly knew it was her.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The slamming of the outer door startled Perry Mason. He listened to the hesitating footsteps, smiled, and scanned his desk for the pile that was needed by the person who was about to step into his office. He pretended not to notice the agitated look on Ken Malansky's face, when he barged in, and nearly tripped over the coffeetable.

" You're still here? " Malansky asked as he searched Perry's office frantically with his eyes. " Is there a new case or somethin' ? "

" No, I just came back here after dinner because I had some unfinished business to attend to. And I thought to do it now, so I won't have to do it tomorrowmorning. And why are you here, at eight thirty p.m.? "

" I forgot to take my homework...must have left it here somewhere..." Ken's eyes searched the office again. " Have you seen it maybe? It was a pile of papers, I… "

" That must be this pile Della left here for you…she decided to sort the papers a bit and put some folders around them. Might make it easier for you to get through them. " Mason pointed at the neatly stacked pile of folders Della had left there earlier.

" Wow. " A deep sigh sounded when Ken took them. " Thanks. "

" Had a rough dinnerdate? " Mason questioned without looking up from his documents.

" Yeah…"

" Amy? "

" Yeah…"

" Want some coffee? "

" Yeah…"

" Can you say something else than 'yeah' ? "

" Yeah…" Ken smiled a small smile and rubbed his neck before falling down on the big couch in front of Perry. " I'm sorry…it's just… I don't really know what to do with her. " He threw his homework next to him on the couch.

" Do you want to talk about it? " Mason poured coffee out of the thermoscan on his desk and handed a cup to his protege.

" Thanks. Talk to you about it? "

" Ye-ah…" Mason imitated Ken, which made the young man smile.

" Well, thanks, Perry, but no, I don't think so. This whole thing actually started because of you."

" What? Why? "

" Remember you said Amy could be my Della Street ? "

" So? "

" So? Amy is not stupid, Perry. She knows what Della Street means to you personally. Now I have to talk about my future. She wants to know what I want from her. If I want to be married, if I want children, if I want my own practice, and if she could be an associate. Or just an assistant. Whatever. Everything you can think of. " Ken held his head in his two hands, and sighed again. " I don't even know what I want myself. "

" Ow, yes, now that's scary, isn't it? Talking about your future? " Mason turned his eyes to Ken. " I am sorry about that remark by the way, Ken. The one and only Della Street herself told me it was a very stupid thing to say to you two. "

" Yeah. Well, that's a little too late now... "

Perry shrugged. " So what about your future, Ken? "

" I don't know. What I do know is that I want to be a lawyer and I want to be as good as you are. "

" So you have to practise, as I told you before. " And you do need a damn good secretary like Della Street, he thought, but he didn't add that.

" Yeah, speaking about that, Perry. "

" What? "

" You know I have these classes I attend, about debating and interrogating? "

" Yes, they're nice, aren't they? I used to enjoy them very much as I recall. They're very useful. "

" Now I have to practise my interrogating skills, and I was planning to do that with Amy tonight, but she doesn't want to do that now that we're uhm…, she doesn't want it anymore. "

" So? "

" Well, I thought, since you're the reason for her not wanting to be a guinea-pig, I thought I'd practise on you. "

" Sure. A guinea-pig..." Perry leaned back in his chair in amusement. " Now? "

" Yes, now. If that's okay with you. "

" Fine. " Perry closed the folder he was reading. " Okay. Interrogate. What is it about? What am I ? A suspect of murder? Shoplifting ? "

" No, they told me to give myself a difficult case, so I had to chose a subject my respondent doesn't like to talk about to others. "

" Something I don't like to talk about? Is there a subject I don't like to talk about to you? "

" Yeah, and I want to question you as if you are on the stand. "

" Go ahead."

" Are you sure? "

" Ye-ah…"

" All right, Mr. Mason. You are here to tell the court about the nature of your relationship with Della Street. "

Startled by this move, Mason smiled at the young lawyer with narrowed eyes, rubbed his beard, and quickly deliberated with himself how to act. He decided to go along for as long as he felt comfortable. And he decided to be a very difficult respondent.

" For what purpose, counselor? "

" To find out the nature of the relationship. "

" Yeah…" Mason snorted softly. " Right. "

" Can you tell the court…"

" No. Don't start with : ' Can you…' because the answer to a question starting with 'Can you' in itself is either 'Yes' or 'No'. " Perry Mason fully enjoyed the start of his lecture.

" Proper questioning and proper use of words and their meaning save you time, and make you master of the process. " He put on his glasses and continued. " You have to order the witness to answer your question. So you say 'Tell the court...'. This way of ordering, indirectly tells the witness, the jury and the judge that you have investigated your case thoroughly and that you know there is something to tell. It also suggests you know exactly what there is to tell. "

" Tell the court when you first met..."

" No. Be specific. Ask me the specific date… conduct me into the details. If I know the specific date, I probably know more details, and you can find out more, you can explore what else I know that is of use to your case. And, before you start questioning you should have found out as much as possible yourself. Be prepared. "

" Tell the court the exact date you first met her? "

" Who? Be specific. "

" Della Street. "

" The twelfth of December 1947. "

" Where was this and why did you meet Della Street there? "

" I interviewed her for a job as my secretary, in my office in L.A.. Details, Ken, details. "

" Details… What was she wearing at december the 12th 1947? "

Without hesitation, Perry answered. " A chocolate brown jacket, ditto pencil skirt, a white blouse, and brown high heels, her coat and gloves were white. "

" You still know that? " Ken raised his brows.

" Never show your surprise, Ken, never show any emotion. At least, not when it's not useful. "

" When did you first start dating her? "

" What do you mean? "

" What was the date you first dated her? " Ken shook his head. " I'll have to refrase that. That sounds stupid…"

" What is it you want to know exactly, counselor? And define 'date' for me, please? "

" On what date did you meet Della Street on a not job related basis? " Ken shook his head again, this still didn't sound right.

" U-uh. Nice. " Yet his boss approved of this businesslike question. " The thirteenth of December 1947. "

" One day after? Really? " Ken raised his brows again.

Perry sighed and raised his voice. " Don't frown, counselor. Again, don't show your emotions, unless it's useful. I can read your face and posture like a book, Ken, it's not good. You have to act better. Practise on a pokerface."

" You're giving me a hard time, Perry. On purpose. "

" Of course I am. I'm answering questions about me and Della. Noone has ever made me do that. And you know that, Ken. Now ask me a question you know I would never answer. "

" On what date did you first kiss Della Street? "

" Objection. Relevancy. "

" So you order me to ask you a question I knew you weren't going to answer…"

" And you did. And I didn't answer. So you see what a direct order does to you..." Mason chuckled. " You thought this was going to be easy, didn't you? "

" Right… Do you love Della Street? "

" Yes. "

Ken Malansky threw up his hands. " Now, why did you answer that question? It's about as intimate as the other one... "

" Yes. But what is the difference between this one and the one I didn't answer? "

" I don't know. "

" Think. I'm not taking 'I don't know' for an answer. Think about the exact reason why you're questioning me."

Ken chewed on his pencil. " The one you answered related to the objective of my questioning, right?…"

" Very good. Now, proceed. "

" Why did you not get married? "

Mason snorted. " How do you know I didn't? Refrase the question. And mind your objective. "

" Uhm, yeah. I don't know if you didn't marry. " Malansky sighed. " Did you get married? "

" That still is not the right question, Ken. What if I married, and divorced three weeks later? I'd say yes, which would be the truth, and you wouldn't know that I am not married now. "

Malansky sighed wearily, and Mason turned his chair around to hide his laughter. " All right, Perry, I'll refrase again: are you married to Della Street now? "

Mason smirked. He would get there.

" No. "

" Why not? "

" Objection. Relevancy. "

" I'd like the record to show the nature of the relationship of Mr. Mason and his private secretary. Reasons why they are or are not married could reveal the basis of their relationship and the reasons why they are so succesful together. Marriage could be one of the reasons they are, as well as them not being married could be. " Ken checked out Perry's reaction from under his lashes. He registered a gaze he thought could be of aprroval and continued in a low and loud voice. " Objection overruled. Please, answer the question, Mr. Mason. "

Perry laughed out loud.

" All right, Your Honor. We are not married because Della and I both think for us it's not necessary to marry to be able to spend our lives together in the way we want. Daily life brings us together as it is, and we don't need it confirmed in any other way than in our own. And some cases over the years have shown us bad things come from marriage too... "

" And you do the things married people do anyway, don't you? "

" Don't go there, Ken. " Perry grunted.

" No, that's not what I meant. "

" Then, what did you mean? Be specific, mind your objective. And don't be suggestive if you don't mean to be suggestive."

" Oh, forget it..." Ken shook his head again. " When did you decide on having a relationship? "

" We didn't. It happened. It grew. We started working together, sometimes twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I liked being around her, she liked being around me, we noticed we both liked it that way. We got to know eachother and we fell seriously in love along the way. "

" So, I take it you just didn't bother to get married? "

" Objection. Leading question. " Perry leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

" Did you ever think about the nature of what you two have? "

" Sometimes. But is it necessary to do so? Isn't it far more important to enjoy what you have? We respect everybody to live life in their own chosen way, and want other people to do the same for us. That's it. "

" So you started working together, and then fell in love. When did your relationship become intimate? "

" Don't go there. " Perry opened one eye to Ken, and raised a brow.

This was enough for Malansky to throw his hands in the air and sigh deeply. " I give up. " He sank down on the couch again and watched his teacher. " This wasn't just about you and Della was it? "

" Maybe. "

" It was also about me and Amy, and how we should look at things according to you, right? "

" Maybe. "

" Can you say anything else than 'maybe' ? "

Mason chuckled. " Maybe. "

" So was there any truth in your answers? "

" You'll never know, will you, Ken? " Mason lifted his broad body from his chair to stand up and straighten his back.

" Why not? " Ken brought his hands up again.

" You didn't have me swear the oath. " Perry shrugged.

" You're kidding, right? "

" No. " Perry's low voice held an accusation.

" The oath, yeah well, but I was practising here…"

" So? The oath is not just a detail, Ken. Amongst others, it provides you with legitimate means to sue someone for perjury. "

" I know. It's just…"

" No, it's not just… Everything matters in the courtroom, every little detail can be important. Even the details that don't seem relevant at the time. You have to remember everything you say, everything that is said to you. You even check out your audience. Who is in it, and why? " Mason tapped the notepad Ken was using to write down his remarks. " That's one of the things I meant when I said, you need a Della Street. You need a second pair of eyes and ears. You need someone to take notes. You need assistance like that. Especially when you are in court. "

" Well, but that's just it, isn't it? Della Street is not just your second pair of eyes and ears. And Amy knows that. "

" We're talking about your job here, Ken. You have to decide if she can be your second pair of eyes and ears. She could be your secretary, assistant, co-worker, associate, whatever. If that's what she wants. And if that's what you want. "

" And the relationship is private, right? "

" I'm lucky I never had to think about that like you have now. I have been lucky that Della became more to me than my secretary, and that the feelings were mutual. " Perry's voice became softer, as he added " I don't just love her, Ken. She is my muse, she's my better half. Someone once told me she is the closest I'll ever be to heaven. "

" Someone? "

" Drake senior. " Mason chuckled as he pointed at the photo of his best friend on the coffeetable in front of Ken. " She probably was the closest he'd ever been to heaven too. Before he met junior's mother anyway..."

" Yeah…"

" Maybe now it's time for you to go back to Amy? "

" Maybe…" Ken stacked his folders.

" Take some time to think about it. Give her a chance, Ken. I think she's fun to be with. And it's not just your or her decision whether or not you'll work together. You both have to agree and talk about it. "

" I can't believe I'm actually talking to you about this. "

" Ye-ah…"

" I'm gone now. Goodnight, Perry. I'll see you tomorrow. "

" Goodnight, Ken. Lock the outer door on your way out, please. "

Mason watched his young apprentice walk out of his office, and went to his desk. He bent down over the intercom. " Did you get all that, Miss Street? "

He smiled as a loud chuckle came to him from the intercom as well as from the other side of the door.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As he opened the door between his office and her desk, Della was still chuckling.

Leaning to the doorframe, Perry sighed before he started to speak. " Now, how was that for eavesdropping? Quite a modern way, don't you think? "

" Well, thank you for letting me join in the conversation. I'll type the outlines all out for you and then you can sign…" she picked up her notepad and read to him " ...she's my muse, my better half, the closest I'll ever be to heaven… And uhm …we're not married, because we don't need our love confirmed in any other way than our own. Oh, and …." she tilted her head, and smiled at him lovingly, "...you love me..."

" I do. " He smiled back at her and walked to her desk to sit down on the edge.

She sat back in her chair and watched him with smiling eyes. She noticed his soft gaze, and realised how much she loved this man, his humour, his devotion to his job and to her. " You were too hard on him…."

" No. I don't think so. " Perry rubbed his hands together. " He has to practise… He wants to learn. He says he wants to be as good as I am. So, he should be aware of how questions are asked properly and how important details can be. And, how important a good secretary can be. "

" Still. " She stood up to stand between his legs, and touched the lapels of his jacket. " And thank you. "

" For what? "

" For being you. I'm still finding out new things about you every day." She brought her hands to his face and kissed his lips lightly. " You know, you never stop to amaze me... it makes me feel priviliged. Makes me feel special. "

" You are special to me. You ought to know that by now…"

His eyes followed hers, as she caressed his face, and stroked his hair. Her loving look became more beautiful with every second he watched it.

He saw her banter coming, when she gazed down and pursed her lips. It made him smile in advance. She tilted her head in that typical way of hers, and narrowed her eyes. " I wouldn't have let you get through so easily though. "

" Oh? "

" I would really have wanted to know more when you said: don't go there…"

" Oh, really? "

" Mmm-mmm. " She pursed her lips again and fluttered her lashes. " I would have forced you to tell me all, and really all the details. Also the ones that don't seem very relevant at the time, but have to be remembered anyway, in case they turn out to be important, as some wise man once said... you know..."

" You would? And… what details? Crime scene, perpetrators? " He rest his hands on her hips.

" The juicy details of course. Wouldn't you want to know about them? "

" Personally, I would have taken you to the crimescene, and reconstructed that particular details with you, dear. "

She choked with laughter, and he held her against him. Her scent made him moan softly when he pulled her closer into his arms, and roamed his hands over her back down to her hips and further down to the swell of her bottom. As if by its own record, his left hand travelled up underneath her blouse and caressed the soft skin he found there. His touch made her melt, as it usually was the start of the loving magic that was still theirs, even now. Her kiss was lingering at first, slow, sensuous, nuzzling his face, but then she deepened it at his approving encouraging moan, and she tasted him, the touch of his beard so lightly tickling to her skin it aroused her. The circling movement of his skilful fingers on her back caused a shivering sensation. This prelude had taken place thousands of times, in and out of the office, yet the irresistance of it had never changed. Memories of their lovemaking in the office came to her as he reached the clasps of her bra. She felt him smile to her cheek, when he unclasped it with one hand, while the other rest at her waist.

" You're so contented with yourself about that, aren't you? " She said under her breath.

" Yes. I proudly admit I am. And I thank you deeply for allowing me to practise. "

" U-uh. As long as it's me you're practising on. "

" I wouldn't know about anyone else who would let me. "

" I can think of lots and lots of women who would want you to practise on them, Perry… And not just the unclasping of their bra..."

" Sure…" he shrugged.

" No, really. You know, you're wealthy, powerful, smart. " She trailed his jaw with her index finger. " You know how power attracts women…"

" So, if I were a poor, powerless man, you wouldn't want to be with me? "

She chuckled. " Well, I certainly wouldn't let you unclasp my bra with one hand. " She reached behind her back. " Speaking of which… "

" You want to fasten it? Let me help you, please... " She answered his mischievous stare, and he made sure she felt his fingers caressing her when he reached underneath her blouse again.

" You can't do that with one hand? " She feigned surprise.

" No. I really do need two hands to caress you. " His hands lingered underneath her arms towards the front of the fabric he had just clasped again, which made her moan. His lips brushed her neck in soft strokes, and she leaned in to kiss him deeply. " Let's go home…" she pushed her forehead to his, and whispered softly. " Your muse wants you…"

#$%

She left her purse and keys at the sidetable in their hallway, and he took off her coat. There was no need to speak, so they didn't. There was no need to switch on lights, and so they didn't. Forty years of knowing eachother's body and mind had made their sense of touch skilful into perfection. He held her from behind to nuzzle her neck, and left bitemarks, making her as weak in his arms as he knew she would be, then turned her in his embrace. He sought for her lips, kissed her almost violently, tasting her sweetness, dancing with her tongue while walking her slowly towards their bedroom. The clothing they lost on their way would be picked up by their smiling housekeeper tomorrowmorning, who at first had to get used to this proof of the passion her employers shared, but now merely hoped she could experience it too when she'd be their age.

He relished in the wonder of his Della, in hearing her whispers, her gasps, her moans, so deep they could be his, or maybe even were his. They had found a way to undress eachother without being disconnected from eachother's touch. The slow dance held no more secrets for them, just the joy of lust and the pleasure of love. Their hands knowing their ways, their perfect timing adjusted to their breathing. Though the feeling was forty years old, very familiair and maybe even oldfashioned, their growing need and arousel was still burning ferociously in new and unknown ways.

Somewhere in the middle of this ardor, just after taking off the last piece of fabric that was between him and her complete nakedness, he felt the urge to pause to watch her blushing face underneath him in the dim light. Her little protesting moan and slowly opening darkened eyes told him not to pause for too long, but he needed to whisper to her. " I love you and adore you, Della Street… " He grazed at the soft skin of her neck and groaned low to her ear, " ...and the more I see you, the more I want you. "

" Sounds like a nice song..., " she smiled softly.

" You want me to sing for you? "

" No. " She narrowed her eyes to him, and took his face in both hands. " I want you to shut up and make love to me. "

" That's my girl. " He captured her mouth completely to leave her breathless, sought for a comfortable position to do what he was ordered to do, and ravished her.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, the officerituals were the same as usual, they just took a little longer. Without urgent work to be done, and no cases to be dealt with today, Della took her time to rearrange her filecabinet, pulling out the oldest folders and documents to file them in the archive, behind the law library. This literal rearrangement of their work and business, caused the same rearrangement in her mind. It tidied her brain. She needed this clearing every now and then, to feel the pages in her hands, information about the cases, his timelines, his remarks, her typed out notes, lists, memo's. It felt purifying to her to go through the pages of what they had done. It felt like thumbing through a diary, recognizing events and emotions, laughing or frowning about them.

Memories flashed through her head when she put staples through the piles of papers, to file them in alphabetical order. Putting them away like that, knowing that if needed, they could be pulled out any time, made her feel self-confident and in control. Made her feel calm and ready for whatever was next. The room it caused in her filecabinet was an extra benefit. It gave her more room to work, more room to think. More room to have some necessary rest.

She poured fresh coffee for Perry and herself. He was at his desk, reading the newspaper. She tickled the back of his neck playfully above his collar, and handed him his cup.

" Thank you, " He took her hand from his neck and kissed it softly, before letting her go with the part of the paper he had already read.

" You're welcome, honey…" She sat down on the couch with her coffee and started reading.

" Mmm, the smell of your coffee is just what I needed. " Ken entered their silence, very unsuccesfully feigning a good mood." And a cup of it of course. "

Della checked out his appearance. " Oh, my dear Ken, what happened to you? "

" I… eh… I slept in the car. Amy threw me out…"

Perry snorted. " How the hell can you be thrown out of your own house? I'd say you go home now, throw Amy out, shower, shave, change into fresh clothes…"

Ken started to speak, but was cut off by the ringing of the phone. Della answered it.

" Perry Mason's office…" she listened, but there was no answer on the other side. " Hello? " she tried again.

" I … want….you…to tell me something...now... " the muffling voice sounded far away, but the words came to her clearly. " Who is this? " The voice continued, she froze for a moment and then dropped the phone. " Oh, my God…"

Ken stood next to her in an instant, and grasped the phone to put it to his ear, and listened. " Noone…" he shook his head, "...noone there.… who was it Della? "

" I don't know, he didn't say, it was just some lunatic I suppose…" she took the phone from Ken again and put it back in its cradle.

" Are you all right? " Perry asked without watching her.

" Yes, I am. A bit shaky though. I should be used to this kind of phonecalls, but I somehow don't..." She touched the back of her hair softly, which showed she was feeling quite uncomfortable.

Although she couldn't see them, she noticed the sudden silence and the quick look Ken and Perry exchanged between them. Briskly she turned around. " What? "

" Nothing. "

" Nothing…of course…. " She crossed her arms in front of her. " What is it you two are not telling me? "

Another exchange of looks. She sighed. Normally, she would have been angry and have demanded an explanation. Now, because of the awkwardness of the situation, a sudden worry captured her body and mind. It made her freeze for a moment before she turned her questioning eyes to the man she loved. " What? "

Without taking his eyes off of her, Perry adressed Ken. " Leave us alone for a minute, will you? "

" Sure. " Ken hurried to the door.

" Now you're scaring me…" she sat down slowly in the chair in front of his desk. Her eyes were firmly set on his, holding worry and concern.

" No, you shouldn't be scared, Della. I think everything is quite all right actually. We just should have told you before. " He leaned down to his desk in front of her, and took one of her hands in his own. " So, where do I start? " he asked himself out loud. " Do you remember the Travis case? "

She gave him a puzzled look. " Last year in Nevada, yes… You defended Billy Travis because Walter couldn't do it. He just had surgery. We stayed in this hotel close to his practise, and we also celebrated our anniversary there."

" Yes, we did. The fortiest. Some celebration. " A small smile broke through Perry's serious face, and he squeezed her hand. " All right, now do you also remember the lunch you were supposed to have with your old friend Vi Westwood? "

" Yes, I remember. She cancelled it. Later on we went to have dinner together with her and her son. Her daughter went back to Boston, and Paul followed her there. But that was after we won Billy's case. What about it, Perry? What does that have to do with this lunatic that just phoned here? "

" Vi didn't cancel that lunch with you, Della. I did. Just before you were supposed to go to her, Vivian… Vi received a similar phonecall in which someone threatened you. Vi called me about it and we decided that it would be safer to not have you out there with her. That's why we decided to arrange a dinnerdate after the case. " Perry gauged her reaction. She watched him concentrated, and he continued. " At first I thought it had something to do with the Traviscase, and I had Paul investigate it, and keep an extra eye on you. "

He let go of her hand, and stood up. He started pacing. " But then, a couple of months ago, threats of the same nature started to come in by mail. "

" By mail? But I didn't see them… and I see the mail coming in every day? "

" Our mail at home…"

" I see that every day too… " Della said, and then she thought of something and widened her eyes to him. Perry nodded, and she continued, " ...but it's always one or two days late… Is this why? "

" Yes, I want it all checked before we receive it. "

He saw her processing the information he was giving her. She hesitated and then asked " What did the letters say, Perry? What were they about? "

" They had one thing in common. They all said there is something 'he' needs to know from you, and that he comes to fetch you when the time is right. And then he adds something about the clothes you were wearing or your whereabouts at a certain moment...and quite accurate, I must say. He is obviously watching you. He is thorough. "

" My God. "

" Yes. My God too. "

" And what about the phonecalls? "

" The one you just answered was just the third phonecall in a year. The first was the one to Vi, the second was one I answered, of the same nature. In the last letter we received, this third call was announced. No specific date our time, it just said: 'the next message will come by phone' . "

She shook her head, and played with her ring nervously.

" What was the message, Della? What did he say? "

" Well, it was indeed a male voice, and he said: ' I want you to tell me something now...' and then ' ...tell Mason to tell you, and then you can come to me soon…' It's so very weird, Perry. It doesn't make sense to me at all. "

" ' Tell Mason to tell you, and then you can come to me soon...?' " Perry repeated, while he wrote the sentence down on his notepad. He shook his head and read the line over and over.

" Yes. And that was it… Do you get that? It does sound like an idiot to me, doesn't it? " She watched his quizzical look. " You don't have any idea who it is? "

" No, I don't. We have never been able to catch a glimpse of someone around you behaving suspiciously. We never caught someone posting these letters, no fingerprints, no clues at all. That is the thing exactly, in the last year, we've received a dozen letters, and then of course this three phonecalls, but noone has ever been seen. "

" Yet. " she added with a concerned look in her eyes.

" Yet. " Perry rubbed his beard and sighed.

" It's scary…."

" Yes. It is scary. " He took her hands.

" Is this why you didn't want me to take a vacation on my own? You wanted to keep an eye on me, right? " She brought a teasing tone in the question, and smiled a small smile.

" Part of it, yes. " He drew her to him to wrap his arms around her waist, which she answered by putting her arms around his neck. " That, and the Malansky case of course, and… I just didn't want to be without you for two whole weeks…..I'd miss you too much... " He kissed her forehead softly, and looked deeply into her eyes. " I love you, Della Street. "

" Ow, you big bear. I have loved you forever…. But Perry…. " she watched him thoughtfully. "... why didn't you just tell me? Paul must have known, obviously Ken knows…"

" Security downstairs knows, even Ed Brock and half of the policestation know…"

" Really? "

" Yes. Della, but I couldn't tell you. I couldn't have you worrying over something that might be nothing. Maybe it is, as you said , just a lunatic, but maybe it isn't, in either way I just have to be careful with you. "

" Were the letters meant for you too? "

" Some of them, yes. Let's say, the person that wrote them, doesn't really like me. " He grinned. " But I'm used to that. I made a lot of enemies along the way…"

" So, what do we do now? "

" We keep our ears and eyes open, and be careful like we always are. I'll phone Lt. Brock right away to tell him about the call, and maybe we have to get extra security here. " Perry's face smiled again. " And, as far as we are concerned, we'll have a leisuring diner tonight and we may dance a little since it's Friday… And then we sleep late tomorrow and I can spend a whole weekend keeping my eyes on you...and my hands..."

" Sure… so, now that I know….I'll be extra careful. "

" You should. For me too. "

" All right, so I'll get Ken, and we can get started with today's business... "

" Not yet…" Perry pouted playfully. " I have something left from last night…"

" What? " she let out a little chuckle.

He drew her to him and kissed her softly, then parted her lips to fully enjoy her mouth for some moments. He moaned while letting her go. " You shouldn't taste so good…"

" You shouldn't want to taste so much…" she reached into his pocket to get his handkerchief and wipe her lipstick from his mouth.

A knock on the door startled them. " Mail for you to sign downstairs, Miss Street…"

" Fridaymail… now that should be interesting…" she folded the handkerchief, slid it into his breastpocket and patted at it. " Now make sure you don't lose it. It's the lucky one. "

He shrugged. " Who was that? The postman? "

" Mmm-mmm..."

" I thought they always rang twice…" Perry murmured when Della left his office.

" What did you say, dear? "

" No, nothing, just a stupid joke. "

" I'll be right back. "

# $

The Fredericson case wasn't hard, from the beginning it had been very clear that Mr. Fredericson hadn't killed his wife. Lots of the people involved just didn't want to answer questions themselves, only through their counselors. Or they didn't want to be involved, were on a holiday or even pretended to be sick.

Now that the information he needed was very hard to obtain, he ordered Ken to use his young charmes on the ladies, while Mason himself used his booming voice, and massive appearance to get through the men. This approach seemed to work, the hearings could be started next week.

Just as he was about to phone Malansky to ask him where he was, he walked in again.

" My, Ken, where have you been? What took you so long? "

" I went home, like you said, and shaved, changed. "

" And? Did you throw Amy out? "

" Nah. We sort of…made up. "

" Oh, sort of made up … I see. So that's why it took you so long? "

" Don't go there, Perry…." Ken used the exact same lines his boss had used the evening before.

" Fair enough. " Perry grinned at him. " Just make sure I don't see these hours on your invoice… Where do we start today? Do we have any more information on the Fredericson's case, to continue the hearings next week? "

" Yes, we came up with some extra information concerning his wife. It should already be in the files with Della. Where is she by the way? "

" She went downstairs to pick up and sign for mail that was delivered. Should be back any minute. "

Ken froze and watched the big man behind the table in front of him, who was going through his papers without noticing what he had just said.

" But Perry…"

" Yes, Ken? " Mason grunted.

" There is no mail on Fridays', Perry... "

" What ? " Perry watched Ken, while he took of his glasses and stood up. Time stood still. Yet it took him seconds to realise he had stopped breathing.

_No. _

He exhaled.

" Go and check downstairs, Ken…."

" I don't need to, Perry. There was nothing, no personnel, no lights, no nothing at the reception when I came in. "

Mason hit the table with his fist. " Dammit! Get Tragg on the phone. Now! "

" You mean Brock…"

" Yes, Brock! Now! "

" God damn fool, Mason…! " Perry hurried out of his office to the elevator, to go downstairs to the hallway.

Downstairs, the reception's desk as well as the area behind it were empty and dark.

Mason swore at himself and his knee, that was screaming at him now that he had obviously moved too fast and had turned it too much. He limped to the frontdoors of the officebuilding. One of the securitymen noticed the agitated look on his face, and shouted at him.

" Are you okay, Mr. Mason? "

" No, I am not. Have you seen the mail coming in? "

" No, sir. It's Friday, most of the times there is…"

" … no mail on Fridays. I know. Have you seen Miss Street? "

" No, sir. Not on this side, maybe at the back? Something wrong, sir? "

" Yes. I'd say so. Very wrong... " Mason turned around and brought his hands up to his face to notice they were shaking. He started to sweat. " Damn…! "


	5. Chapter 4

_I'm having such fun writing this... I sincerely hope you have the same fun reading it…._

**Chapter 4**

Paul Drake jr. hummed a pleasant tune, and then whistled to his dog. Actually it wasn't his dog, but Linda's. But whether he or she whistled, the big dog always came running to him, and not to Linda, no matter how hard she tried. It just made her smile. Her decision to go to Boston with this dog, and of course private eye Drake had been the best she ever made. Her job at the policestation here was even better than the one she had back in Denver.

She handed him a drink while he sat down on the small bench and put his arm around her shoulder. " Cheers, honey. "

" Cheers…" he took a large gulp and stared at his feet.

Linda looked at him from aside. " You're still thinking about Perry and Della? "

" Yeah. I'm not really bothered, you know, it's just... I don't know, it's just not like them to forget about my birthday. Not like Della anyway. Last year she even phoned me from Paris, when they were there to spend some time together. "

" Maybe they did just forget, honey. They are getting older, you know. "

" Nah, they don't have time to grow old, not the way they are working. You should know, you've seen them together when we worked on the Robertson's case, remember? " He stroked her belly. " It's not that I really want to be congratulated with my birthday, I just want to tell them….I want to tell them I want little Paul or Pauline here to have them as grandparents. I think they are quite suitable…"

" I think so too. They're nice, Paul. " She smiled softly. " Well, maybe when we get home, you'll see that they have phoned. Let's go... "

" Yeah, let's go. "

Drake didn't have to check his messageservice himself, the phone seemed to have been ringing continuously when they walked into their home.

" Mr. Drake? I'm glad I finally caught you. "

" Yeah, Paul Drake here. Why the panic? Important messages? "

" One message, Mr. Drake, and indeed very urgent. From Perry Mason's office. "

" Ah, I thought so…" His small nod to Linda made her smile. " What did she say ? Or was it Mason himself? "

" Mr. Mason said, and I quote : ' Get your ass over here, Della is missing ' "

" What? "

" And he said you had to phone him right away when I got a hold of you. "

" Jeezzz…"

" Are you all right, Mr. Drake? "

" Yeah, fine. No, I'm not. Of course not. Thanks. Bye. "

Paul pushed the numbers he knew by head to phone Mason's office, but the line was busy. After a few times, he tried the number he had from the Mason residence, but there was no answer there. " Damn! "

He ran upstairs, taking three steps at the time, grabbed his travelbag and threw some clothes and toiletries in it.

" Paul? " her questioning eyes distracted his thinking about the flight he had to take, and how to get to Mason's office as soon as possible from Denver Airport. Then he realised they were supposed to go out to diner for his birthday tonight.

" I'm sorry Linda, I'm leaving for Denver right away, Della's missing... " He had trouble to catch his breath. " I have to get there right away…. Jeeeeezzz..."

" Really? Della? My God, Paul, that sounds bad…. real bad…."

" Oh, I'm pretty confident we'll find her. It happened before, and we always got her back safe and sound. I'm just not so very sure how the old man is coping…. I guess he is a mess already..."

# $%

Perry Mason sank down on a chair at the reception's area of the officebuilding. He put his cane against the desk, and stroked his beard. The ungoing interrogations and investigation of the last hours had been dreadful and too damned long. And worse than that, it had resulted in absolutely, really absolutely nothing, no clue at all.

He checked his pocketwatch, it was 5 a.m. already. It wouldn't be long before the Saturdaymorningnews and the tabloids would throw the news of his missing Della into the world. Even though it was the least of his problems now, he could see the headlines already, and groaned in frustration and agitation in advance. All kinds of suggestions would be made, one of them of course that she had left the famous lawyer, because he had been bad to her, or worse, he had cheated on her with a female client. Or she had gone off with a male client. Or he had hired someone to kidnap her to draw attention to his office. Or she wanted to have his money, and set up this kidnapping to obtain ransome. Whatever. Tabloidjournalists could be accused of a lot, but certainly not of having a very original imaginitive and inventive brain.

In the room next to him, people were talking on the phone, there was a rattle of a faxmachine, and he heard rustling and voices coming out of walkie-talkies. He listened silently to the voices of Ken and some sergeants who were checking out the CCTVfootage, and other video's they had found, for what must be the ninetiest time this night. They tried their best to analyze what had happened exactly in the fifteen minutes he had let her out of his sight. His jaws tightened again, and he closed his eyes. He could have prevented this. He should have asked her to let Ken get the mail, he should have gone downstairs with her himself.

His fist hit the desk.

He felt her last kiss burning on his lips, and pulled out the handkerchief she had used to whipe her lipstick from his mouth with her soft hands.

He heard Ken talking to the sergeants. Mason himself couldn't watch the images anymore. The first time he had watched them, hours ago, he had already seen she had been startled by the man who asked her to come to the van, that was parked outside at the back of the office. He had seen a mixture of surprise and fear in her eyes when she walked outside with what she thought was the postman. He had seen her easing down the moment she recognized the man in the van, whoever it was. But the knot in his stomach was mainly caused by the fact that she had taken the guys' hand and got in the van without hesitation.

" No. Go back. " Ken's voice sounded tired and angry.

" What? "

" Go back. Stop it. Here, you see here. Here she knows something is wrong. Check her eyes, they start flashing around. And she brings her hands up. You see? "

" You're right. "

" And here… stop it right there…you see…"

" Oh, man….."

" Yeah…."

" She really recognizes him. She even smiles..."

" Yeah, she does. She goes into the van without struggling here, you see? "

" Did you check the numberplate of the van? " Ken's voice asked.

" Yes, as we already guessed it's a rented van. We're expecting the information about who rented it from the rental company any minute now…."

" Is there anyway we can see who is standing behind the backdoor of the van? We just see his shoes…"

" Nah. There's no camera positioned over there. "

" Stop the tape again. Yes, here. You see. She takes his hand and just gets in. Just like that. " Ken sighed. " Did you run a check on this postman already? "

" Yeah, he's been working with FedEx for half a year. No home adress, no police record, no family here. And he's missing now too. "

Then a whisper, that was loud enough to reach Perry's ears. "So, basically we have nothing? "

" Yeah, I'm afraid we don't. I'm sorry. "

" If you want to be sorry, be sorry for me. I'm the one that has to go and tell Perry Mason…"

But Mason had already left, and limped in the elevator to go to his office.

#$%

Paul Drake jr. paused for a moment before knocking on the door to Perry Mason's office. He frowned at the noises he heard, concentrating to identify the somewhat familiair sounds, and shook his head before deciding to just go in without permission. He opened the door to see what he was expecting to see. Perry hit his desk with his fist, and violently pushed a chair away with his cane, before he stood up.

" Yeah, well, that sure helps a lot. Tossing around your office furniture..." Paul Drake leaned forward and accentuated his next word " ...chief. "

" Shut up, Drake. "

" Nice to see you too, Perry. Howya been? " He threw his travelbag on the floor. " So, not even Drake junior can leave you alone for long, and then you lose the gal, right? "

Paul's attitude changed the very second he met the gaze of his former employer. He swallowed. " Jeezzz, Perry. Give yourself a break here, take it easy. Things are going to be fine. We just have to pull our tricks. "

Perry sighed and sat down again. His head was in his hands, when he said " Sorry, Paul. I just haven't slept a wink, been here all night, with the police and forensics trying to figure out what the hell happened, and how." His voice was soft and low. " I just let her slip away, Paul. She's missing without a trace, and I really don't have a clue where she might be, or who took her. " He kicked the dustbin under his desk.

" Yeah, and now you're here still, at... " Paul checked his watch " … 7.30 a.m., dwelling in selfpity and guilt. Which really helps a lot of course. " Drake sat himself down on one of the chairs at the conference table and swung his legs over the armrest.

" You sound like someone I know. " Mason stood up again and laughed despite himself. He rubbed his face with one hand, while shaking hands firmly with Drake.

" Yeah, sounds like the someone we are going to find, doesn't it? " Paul took the documents about the disappearance of Della Street from the table and thumbed through them. " Now, I have been downstairs for a while, Perry, and I've been to the policestation shortly. She is not really missing without a trace, as you say. There seems to be a lot of footage of the CCTV of this building, and from the securitycamera's outside. This Ken Malansky-guy is still checking it all out. They are going to reconstruct in a couple of minutes to see if they can get any clues out of that. So what else have we got? Did they check the numberplate of the van they were driving? "

" Yes, it was rented under a false name, with a false ID. They paid in cash. No camera's at the rental place. Can you believe that? " Pery rubbed his tired eyes. " And apart from all the details we went through last afternoon and tonight, looking for clues and fingerprints and whatever in here, downstairs and around the building, we have the letters that were sent to our home…You know a few of them... " Perry threw them to Paul. " Here…"

" Did she read them? "

" No."

" Did she know about the threats? "

" Yes. I told her yesterday…I didn't tell her I had the letters here. "

" So, you finally told her, huh ? "

" She answered the phone when the guy called yesterday. So, I had to tell her. " Mason stood next to Paul and pointed at the letters. " Now pay special attention to the last letter. The last call, the one from yesterday morning, was announced in it."

" So the guy was probably checking if she was here…" Paul said without thought while he nodded and read through the last letter Perry had thrown at him.

" What did you say? " Perry frowned.

" What I said was that he, the looney-tune, probably phoned to this office to make sure she was here, so he could send his guys or whatever to come and get her. " He looked at Perry. " Makes sense, doesn't it? "

" Good thinking…. I knew I needed you here…What would..."

The opening of the outerdoor to his office cut him off. Lieutenant Ed Brock walked in, followed by two of his sergeants. " Mason…"

" Ed Brock. Meet Paul Drake. "

" Yeah, we know eachother. " They shook hands. " Drake, kind of nice meeting you again. "

" Brock."

" So, what have we got all together? " Drake quiried as they all sat down.

" First, we're reconstructing events downstairs in about half an hour. We got some witnesses, who saw her getting in the van, and we have the CCTV footage, we'll be able to do a good reconstruction, and we'll take it from there. Second, the coffee downstairs is dreadful." Brock pulled out his little notebook and a pencil. " Third, Mason, when did you last check your bankaccounts? "

" I never do. You know, I used to have a secretary taking care of that kind of things. Why ? " Perry grunted while he sat down on his couch with his eyes closed.

" Well, you know how it works, couns'lor, if someone goes missing, that's one of the first things we check you know… family ties, numberplates, bankaccounts, homes, cars. "

" So? "

" It seems someone has looted your bankaccounts, Mason. "

The big lawyer opened his eyes, and stared at Brock in disbelief. " What? How much is missing? "

" Ten million dollars and a bit, sir. Withdrawn yesterday afternoon, quite soon after your Miss Street went missing. "

" Fieeeew. " Paul Drake whistled loudly, and looked at Perry.

" Private and bussiness, couns'lor. " Brock added, as he queried Perry's startled reaction. " You didn't know you were that rich, did you? "

" Well, no. Not exactly... "

" Ah, you know, you wouldn't be the first big man to not know about your finances, couns'lor. I know guys that run multinationals and speak about their business and millions of dollars as if it's nothing. When I ask hem about their own salary and expenses they don't know a thing. " Brock turned his eyes from Perry's. " But it leaves our guys wondering…"

" What? " Mason grunted.

" Well…" Brock hesitated.

" Oh, give me a break... " Perry suddenly understood Brock's suggestion. " We are talking about Della Street here, Brock. Yes, she could spend or take all my money without me noticing it. " He paused, and swallowed hard. " But she wouldn't. "

" Well, I know that, you know that, but my sergeants indeed think she might just as well have left off with all your money. "

" Don't be ridiculous... " Drake made a gesture with his hands, and stood up. He started to speak again, but was stopped by the dark voice of Perry.

" She's been with me for forty-one years, Brock. Tell your sergeants to mind about that, before minding about anything else. I know it's very uncommon nowadays to spend so many years together with someone, but it still is possible. I know her inside out, and she knows me. If she had the need to do what you are suggesting, she'd have told me, and I would have let her do it. I would have let her go. "

Perry stood up and walked towards the window. His stare outside made the men in the room grow silent.

Brock stood up and sighed. " Well, we need to see about that reconstruction, Mason, and then you'll have to come with me to check out your home for clues. "

" Take Paul and Ken with you to go to my home, Brock. "

" You're not coming to your house? "

" No. They know the way, they know our house, and they have a key. "

" Yeah, but I need to know if there's personal belongings missing of your Miss Street, sir, and I …" Brock stopped speaking as Paul Drake gestured to leave him alone for a minute with the big lawyer. He walked towards Perry Mason, and stood still next to him at the window of the office.

" You know you have to go home sometime, don't you? And, that is preferably before you start to smell…."

" I know. Just not now. Not yet." Perry tried to smile at Drake's remark, but failed. " And maybe you see things there I wouldn't. "

Paul squeezed Perry's shoulder and hesitated to walk out. Halfway the office he turned to Perry again. " You don't seriously consider she went off with your money, do you? Because she would never do that, you know. "

" No, of course not. I know she wouldn't. " Mason touched his arm on the spot she had dug in her nails two nights ago, when he had brought her over the brink just a moment before his own release. The echo of her soft _I love you_ was still in his ears. He looked at the familiair eyes of the young Paul Drake, who was obviously as concerned as his father would have been. " Of course not. "

" I'll keep you posted, Perry. Hang in here. Stay close to a phone. "

# $

Mason hesitated to go to the reconstruction downstairs. What the hell was that, other than just a standard procedure.

Bottomline was still that they had nothing.

After fifteen minutes of going over the same documents again, he sighed and tugged his cane from the desk to walk to the elevator. The despair and frustration of not being able to do anything was rising to an unbearable level. He had to do something. Anything.

When the elevatordoors opened again at ground level, Mason was surprised to see Ed Brock standing in the hall talking to Ken and Paul. They stopped abruptly when they noticed him, and watched him with a mixture of shock and pity. His tired eyes darkened and he watched them suspiciously.

" What is it? " Nobody answered. He started to lose his patience.

" What. Is .It ? " Nobody answered again.

Perry exploded in anger and frustration. His fist hit the reception's counter hard. A coffee cup fell off and broke into pieces on the floor. He shouted.

" What the hell is it ? "

Finally, Brock opened his mouth and spoke " I need you to come to the station with me, Mason. We found a body that could be your Miss Street. "


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

" I need you to come to the station with me, Mason. We found a body that could be your Miss Street. " The sentence echoed in his ears. Sudden fear and panic rose from his feet up to just beneath his heart.

_No. I only deal with facts. _

The abrupt silence in the hall was deafening. The steel gaze that came over Perry Mason's face made Paul Drake worry instantly. He knew that once this steeling began, there was no way to get through to him, there was no way to get him reasonable. His heaving chest, his two large hands squeezed into fists, his eyes darkened and cold, his jaws tightened. Della used to call this look the 'reinforced concrete look'. Even she stayed away from him when he had this look on his face.

" Get me there. " Perry grunted.

" You want us to come? " Ken asked.

" No. " His voice was loud, and he looked at Ken's and Paul's face with darkened, cold eyes. Then he gazed down. " Yes. " He sighed softly, and squeezed his cane.

The drive to the policestation took place in absolute silence, until Paul asked a question that had been in his mind from the moment Brock had asked them if Perry could identify a body that was found.

" I still don't know why this is necessary, Brock. Della Street is quite well known, she has a familiair face. Is there noone that could have recognized her already? You, for instance? That is, if it's her? "

" No. " Brock answered reluctantly.

" No? "

" Nobody could recognize her. " He added softly " Because of the state the body is in. "

" That mutilated, right? " Ken scratched his arm nervously, and glanced at Perry who sat next to him in the back of the car.

" Yes. As in decapitated. "

" Jeeezzzz. Thanks for telling us, lieutenant. " Paul Drake checked Perry's face in the rearview mirror of the police car. The only proof that Mason had actually heard this conversation, was his hard swallowing and the further tightening of his jaws. The big attorney rest his head on his fist while looking out of the window. He blocked the information that was coming to his ears. He didn't want to deal with suggestion, he only wanted to deal with facts. He chose to think sound was made out of soundwaves, just forming into words if the recipient wished to hear so. And he didn't wish to hear the soundwaves becoming words. Not these ones.

The sickening strong smell of the formaldehyde in the morgue made Ken Malansky turn around and run to the bathrooms to throw up.

Drake handed him a paper napkin when he came back, and looked around nervously. He didn't want to watch the form underneath the blanket in front of them.

" Ready when you are, Mason. " Brock spoke softly.

" Do it. " The steel stare didn't come off his face as Brock pulled up the blanket, there was just a slight change of breathing. The body on the table was badly battered, it seemed as if it was ran over by a car. The tracks of tires were visible on arms, legs and stomach. There were bad bruises on the ankles and wrists. Brock had pulled up the blanket just up to the top of the neck. The suggestion of the flatness of the blanket above it, was as sickening as the image would have been if the blanket hadn't been there to hide the decapitation.

Ken swallowed hard. The female slender figure could very well be Della's.

" Lord…." Suddenly Perry turned around with closed eyes, and brought up his hands to grab something for support, while he stumbled forwards.

" Get him a chair. "

Brock took a chair and pulled Perry's arm to motion him to sit down. Perry sank down on the chair, holding his face in his hands. He sighed deeply.

" Perry? " Paul walked towards him with shaking hands. " Talk to us. "

Ed Brock squatted next to Mason. " I just need a 'yes' or a 'no', couns'lor. "

Perry mumbled something.

" What did you say, couns'lor? "

" It's. Not. Her. " The slow steadying of Mason's voice struck Drake. He recognized a sob in the big man's voice, and briskly turned around to hide his own.

" It's not her, Brock. " Perry's voice had its usual tone and strength again.

" Are you sure, couns'lor? "

" I know every single inch of Della Street's body, Ed. I'm telling you, it's not her. "

" Oh, thank God. " Even at the low temperature in the morgue, sweat came down from Brock's face in drops. He whiped them away with his handkerchief.

Perry grunted to him. " Well, she is someone's wife or mother or daughter, so don't you thank God, Ed. Some idiot killed her, abused her, decapitated her, and left her as a piece of garbage. "

" Yeah, you're right. But at the moment I'm just glad it's not your Miss Street, Mason. " _Because if it was, you'd probably end up being the next body on the table here_, Brock added in his mind, but he didn't say that oud loud.

Perry looked up to him, and sighed wearily. " I thank you for your concern. Now can we get back to find my Miss Street, Brock? "

" First, I'm going to grab a good cup of coffee, Mason. Do you want some? "

" No. I need something stronger. I want to go home now. "

####

" Did you eat anything in the last 24 hours? Did you have breakfast by any chance? " Paul asked Perry, when they finally sat at his kitchentable.

" No. "

" Your pills…" Paul Drake took two pills from the bottle and gave them to Perry, who was staring at the kitchen clock. 2 p.m. He didn't want to sleep, he knew he actually couldn't, but his eyelids were heavy. The whiskey he had taken to ease his mind with, didn't quite help in that respect.

" What? "

" Your painpills…you know, doctors' orders..." Ken interfered.

" Oh, yeah, thanks…" Perry took them from Paul, and waited with them in his hand.

" You do not seriously want me to get you a glass of water as well, do you? "

" Glad you noticed. "

" ' Bet Della does that."

" As a matter of fact she does, Paul... "

" Yeah, well, she loves you. "

" Yeah, well, and you don't..."

Paul put his two hands on the table in front of the big lawyer, and blew out a big breath of air. " As a matter of fact I do, you stubborn old pile of bricks. And now, you take bloody care of yourself. Take your medicine and take something to eat. You can simply refuse to realise this, but you are god damn seventy-three years old. Maybe you should be happy that you got to this age, Perry. You and I both knew someone who didn't….for godsake. " Paul refused to feel the sting of tears in his eyes, speaking about his father like that. " Now, I know you're not able to move that big body of yours in the way you were used to, Perry Mason. I know that drives you mad, but it doesn't help, right? Now, you use your brains, and use us as your legs, okay? " Paul filled a glass with water and set it in front of Perry. " And tell me what the hell it is you want us to do next. "

Perry took his pills, and stretched his leg with a painfilled grimace. " Damn, it really hurts…. You're right, I can't stand it that I can't move like in the old days, with your father. You know the two of us would have found her by now…"

Paul snorted. " Yeah, of course…. "

In response to Paul's snarl, Mason's mind started to work in the oldfashioned mode. It was as if a button had been pressed, and Paul Drake was happy to hear the old man's motor running like it used to. " I want you to go through the letters again, and to see if there is any explanation, anything we missed. Then I want you to bring me the CCTV footage of the bank so I can check it myself, I want to see who withdrew the money, and if it was Della I want to know who she was with. Find the bankmanager, and let him phone me right away. I want you to check the securitycamera's outside the bank, and bring the video's to me. Watch them yourself. If you see antything odd, tell me about it. I need you to go to the place where the van was rented, and see if you can find witnesses, for instance, who was behind the counter when it was rented. You have to check the liqueurshop on the other side of the street, they should be in at this time on a Saturday. Get more possible witnesses, and question them. Put Brock's sergeants on it as well. Check the numberplates of the cars that were driving by yesterday afternoon, ask the drivers of these cars if they have seen anything. Anything at all. "

" Okay, got that. " Ken made a list in his notebook, and quickly deliberated with Paul who was to take which action.

When the tasks were divided between them, Drake walked to Perry, and squeezed his shoulder. " Right, old lug. We're on our way. Now you rest a bit, and eat, okay? If we find something, you'll be the first to know…We'll report back to you every hour anyway…."

" Paul...Ken…." he grunted to them, as they walked away. " Thank you…" it was still a grunt, but his eyes showed them how he really felt.

" Hang in there, Perry. " Ken turned at the door.

" She'll be fine. We'll find her. " Paul squeezed his shoulder again.

" Yeah, please do..."

Two hours later, Perry sat himself down at the kitchentable again, with his head in his hands. The first call had come from Ken, who obtained the video's from the bank, and was now on his way to the rental place. Paul had phoned that he had found about a hundred cars that had driven by at the moment Della was taken.

The emptiness Perry had been afraid to find in their home, came over him now that Brock and his sergeants had left to go to the station to continue their investigation there, and to interview the witnesses Paul had found. Perry had also checked out the entire house again himself, and found nothing was missing or different or out of place. The police also hadn't found any clue or trace. Apparently Della hadn't been here before she vanished into thin air.

Researching their walk-in closet, one of the sergeants had made a remark to Brock, about the quality and the expensive brands of her clothes, and that he had a wife that would definetely take them with her if she decided to run off with what he called 'some other guy'. Perry had just thrown him a very cold and stern look. Sick and tired of suggestions, he had turned his back on him, and went to watch the CCTVfootage of the officebuilding again, he had taken home. No clues, no nothing.

Now he poured himself another whiskey. The anger and frustration had again risen to an unknown level. He downed the whiskey in one gulp, and threw the empty glass against the wall. It broke into pieces just above the sink.

There was no rest to find here. While he walked towards the frontdoor to drag himself to the office again, his hand touched one of her jackets at the hallstand. He stroked it, and whispered while he shook his head. " Della, baby, where the hell are you? "

####

" Where the hell am I, and why am I here? When can I go home? "

The same woman that had brought Della her food and drinks earlier, now just frowned at her when she asked the same questions again.

The last sentence the woman had spoken to her this morning, was " You have to eat, Miss Street. If you don't eat, you die, and you will never get home anyway. " Now the questions Della asked weren't even given attention anymore. The woman, dressed in white, just pointed at the food, and watched Della Street arrogantly.

The day before, she had indeed refused to have the food that was brought to her. She had only drunk water. But now that she was starving, she decided to have the leisuring diner that was so very well prepared for her. This morning she had already noticed that someone had gone through great lengths to find out what she liked best for breakfast. Toast, strawberryjam, yoghurt, strong tea. Lots of fruit. All had been displayed in front of her on two large trays. But she hadn't eaten from it.

In the afternoon, lunch had been even better, freshly baked brown bread, butter, ceasar salad, tuna salad, her favourite white wine. She had taken a little bit, and had noticed that this was real fresh food of very good quality.

Now also diner seemed to be perfect, and all very well adjusted to her taste. A nice small steak, grilled vegetables, grilled potatoes and a simple green salad with just tomatoes and tunamayonnaise. It tasted as well as it looked, and she ate it all.

She looked around in her room. All white, the bed was white, the blankets and the carpets were white, the adjoining private bathroom she had was white, even the towels were white. She hadn't used the white jacuzzi yet, but it was tempting.

The huge window in front of her gave her a view on a large garden, with old high trees and a very well-maintained lawn. Had she been free to move, had she been in the company of the love of her life, she would have enjoyed it here very much. But she was alone, the door was locked, there was no way out of here. She had tried to break the window, but nothing had happened when she had thrown a chair against it. Her mind was still working on a way to get out, yet the thought that she couldn't escape became stronger with every minute she was in the room. It made her angry, with a hint of despair.

The woman walked in again, to pick up her dishes this time. She smiled a small smile when she saw that the lady she tried to take care of, had been eating almost all of the well prepared meal. " Was it nice, Miss Street? "

No answer, just a cold look.

" Now remember, you can ask me for anything you want, and I'll provide you with it. Are there any books you'd like to read? Magazines? "

" Take me home. "

" I already told you before that that is not possible, Miss Street. Would you like television in your room? "

" So I can watch the news to see what they have on my disappearance or whatever it is you want to call this? No thanks. "

" I thought you might like to see your Mr. Mason…he is on the news quite frequently I must say…"

That hit a nerve. Della touched her hair at the back of her head gently, a gesture that showed she felt really uncomfortable and insecure. Oh, Perry, she thought. My, Perry. What did he think now? How was he doing? Really without thought she had gone downstairs to the hall to see about the mail, which was stupid, because there rarely was mail on Fridays, and then she hadn't returned to the office. When had he noticed? What had happened? Was he driving himself mad now? And the money, she had withdrawn almost all of the money. She had refused at first, but then she did it, because they had threatened to do something they didn't define to Paul and Ken. Which was just a threat of course, but she couldn't take the chance, could she?

What would he be thinking…?

The woman's voice startled her. " But I can also get you some movies. Just tell me what you want. As long as it makes you feel good, and you can relax here. "

" How can I relax here, if I don't know what I'm doing here? I don't want to be here, " Della snapped at the woman. She inhaled deeply.

" So, if I tell you why you are here, you will relax, is that right, Miss Street? " A male voice came from behind the door, and she turned on her heels. " That's good, because I intend to take very good care of you..." Then a familiair face entered the room.

" My dear God… so this really was about you…I guessed it was about you... it really was you..."

" Yes, Miss Street…Della...and I'm so happy to see you here... I'm so glad you didn't give them any problems to take you here… " A hand reached out to her cheek, and she briskly stepped away, crossing her arms in front her.

" Well, now that you're so very happy to see me, you can tell me what the hell I'm doing here and why. " Her eyes were fierce.

" _'What the hell?'_ Tskkkkk, Della. Aren't you enjoying yourself? I thought I had made sure you have everything you want…."

" What I want is to go home. "

" Yeeees, of course. But that is not possible. As you were told before by my staff a couple of times. "

" Then at least tell me why I'm here. "

" I will, Della, I will… but before that…."

" Yes..? "

" ...I want you to phone Mason and read him a note…"


	7. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Thank you really very very much for your kind reviews and PM's. Feedback is the only profit I want from this, I like it. Thanks again. _

_Now this chapter might bring part of the solution. Or not. Or partly. _

**Chapter 6**

Looking back, the afternoon and evening were a blur to Mason. He had moved from the office to the policestation, because they had asked him to come over. He had spent hours and hours of interviewing witnesses, going over CCTVfootage and images, reconstructing events again. There had been no contact with kidnappers or whatever, there had been no request for ransom, no sign of life of Della at all. And not a single useful clue. At all.

He had finally given in to Brock's advice to go home for a while. " Three or four hours won't hurt, Mason. " He didn't go home to sleep, but merely to flee from the noise, the suggestions and the constant attention Ken, Paul, Brock and his sergeants requested from him. He was very tired and agitated because of needless questions, possible scenario's that were brought to him he thought were ridiculous, and the pityful looks that were thrown at him every now and then.

The press in front of his house, and the one glance he had granted himself through the papers had made him sick. The suggestions that Della had run off with his money to finally enjoy her life, pictures of her on his arm, smiling or watching him serious. Pictures of them in court. Pictures of them in the early days at nightclubs, dancing way too close. One of the articles had actually been on the question if they were or were not married and why. In other circumstances he had just felt pity for the people who were writing and reading this, because they propably had no other purpose in life, or knew no other way to relax than by dwelling in the garbage that was displayed in these articles.

Now the articles just made him angry. Which was the wrong way of using the energy he needed to find her. He realised that just after he had torn the papers into pieces and threw them into the waste bin.

As he walked to their bedroom to try and get some rest, the darkness in the house remembered him of two nights before, when they had walked into their dark house together and he had danced her to their bed, while undressing her slowly to make glorious love to her. The whole house breathed her scent, even her sounds, her throaty laughter were everywhere in the deafening silence. He stared into her rosegarden, and remembered how thrilled she had been when they found this house and its beautiful garden. How she had agreed on running their office here in Denver and living here, because he loved to teach here, and was offered a professorship.

He had carried her over the doorstep into the house when they moved in. They had joked about the real estate agent who had said, very distinctively minding their age, that the master bedroom of this house was at 'street level'. With that typical tilting of her head, she had said she had always thought she was the only one who was at 'Street level', and that she liked it here immediately.

He felt the strong urge to kick or hit something again, and squeezed his hands into fists in his pockets. This morning, at the morgue, for one everlasting second, he had thought he had lost her forever. The despair from that one second mixed with the fatigue that washed over him now, made his heart heavy. Of course he knew that one day, one of them had to go on living without the other, but he had never seriously considered that it could be him. That it was actually possible that it could be expected from him to live a life without her.

He dragged himself out of this dark state of mind, by switching on the lights in the bedroom, and going through the details. Now what was it in the letters, he felt was so very clearly the key to find out where she was now? He had read and reread the letters, together with Ken and Paul. Why was it so familair to him? What was it about the _'meaning of words'_ in the last letter? Why would someone go through great trouble to watch her so closely for so long, and to know about her clothes and her whereabouts? Why did she go into the van without hesitation? Why did she withdraw almost all of the money? And why had she left a little of the money in the accounts?

Too much tracks, too much details. If she were only here to conduct his thinking. He sighed wearily and climbed in his bed, to lay on the covers without taking of his clothes. He took her pillow to inhale her scent firmly, and allowed himself to doze of just a little, after putting the phone next to his head on another pillow.

He grabbed it after the first ring.

" Della? "

" Yes, Perry...dear, it's me…"

He sat straight up in his bed, his eyes wide open, adrenaline racing through his veins. " How are you? Where are you? "

" I'm quite okay, Perry. " Her voice sounded all right, quite stable. But he knew how her _'quite okay' _ wasn't the same as her _'fine'_ . He concentrated to hear the exact timbre and tone of her voice, and the sounds that surrounded her. No hollow sounds. No sound of traffic. Birds singing at the background. A male voice at the background.

" I'm not really down or anything." A very small smile was tugging at his lips. She was giving him clues. _'I'm not really down or anything'_ what did that mean? He went over to her bedside and grabbed the notepad and pencil that were always there, even now, and started to write.

" They want me to read something to you. " _'they'_ , so there were more of them.

" Who are they? " he dared to ask.

" I don't know, I…" Her sentence was cut off.

" Read the note…! " a female voice hissed close to the phone. Right, so at least a man and a woman were there.

" I can't, it's just night and it's too dark outside, you have to get me some extra light, which should be avalaible in a well-maintained big building like this. "

Good girl, he thought. It's dark there, she calls it _'just night' _, so she must be in this timezone or a close one. _'big building' 'well-maintained'_

" Read the damn note…! "

" I can't read this bad handwriting, and get me some reading glasses. "

_'bad handwriting' 'reading glasses'_ ? She never wore them, she didn't need them. Who was wearing them? Why did she refer to them?

" This is it: _' My dear Mr. Mason,'_ Now doesn't that sound familiair to you, Perry? "

_'familiair '_ , so it had to be people he knew. Good girl, Della, go on.

" Read the goddamn note….! "

" Here is the rest, all the rest, Perry. _' Now that I have taken all that you value, your money and your love, maybe the meaning of the word will come to me even better than to you. '_

_' Here is the rest, all the rest '_ Now what did that mean? And what the hell did the note mean?

He heard the threatening voice hiss again. " Now hang up the phone. "

" Check the money, Perry. It's important. " Della whispered.

_'check the money'_

" I will. I love you, Della. And I will find you. " His hand squeezed the phone so very thight, his knuckles whitened.

" I know you will, I ..." then they were cut off.

" I will find you. " He said it again for his own reassurance, and put the phone in its cradle. Then he picked it up again to phone Brock, to see if the tap they had put on this phoneline earlier, had been able to track down the exact location where the call had come from.

####

" Man, Mason, you look like something the cat brought in two weeks ago. " Lieutenant Ed Brock walked into his office with two steaming mugs of fresh coffee. Even though it was just 5 o'clock in the morning, the police station was crowded. Ken and Paul were still interviewing witnesses, which wasn't an easy job at this time and day.

" Thanks, Ed, " Mason's grunt was low which matched his mood. " What have you got? "

" Well, sir, all we know is that the phonecall came from inside this state, a place up north. The call was too short to find the exact location, but as you said, she is in this timezone, and I can confirm she is in this state. And, sir? "

" What? "

" We now know she is alive. "

" When I spoke to her, yes…"

" We're going over the clues she gave you, but we can't really get to the bottom of it. We believe you and your team should go through them, because you know her better than we do, sir. "

" I suppose…" Mason rubbed his face.

" Now you better get some rest, couns'lor, shave, get a good breakfast, and I mean a healthy one. You know what she'll do to me if I bring her back to you, and she sees you like this? " Brock tried to joke.

" Just find her, Ed. She's been gone now for what? 40 hours….and I'm nothing without her. Nothing. " The big man stood up, and put his hands in his pockets. His typical pose, the one his Della loved most. Had she been here, she'd put her arms around him, her hands on the small of his back underneath his jacket and she'd look up to his eyes. They would only exchange looks. He'd only have to bend his face down a little to kiss her lightly. Then she'd lay her head on his chest, and he'd nuzzle his face in her hair and inhale. He wouldn't need more than that to ease his mind. He wouldn't even take his hands out of his pockets.

" I'm sorry for you, Mason. But you know we do everything to get your lady back, do you? I personally turn every damn stone I find, you know that. "

" Send Malansky and Drake to my office when they have finished here, would you? "

" Also the lady, sir? "

" The lady? "

" Yes, Malansky came in with eh… what's her name? "

" Amy ? " Mason snorted in disbelief.

" I think so, yes. "

" Yes, send them all to my office, I want to go over the clues with them, as you suggested. I am heading to my office now. Can I take the CCTVfootage from the bank with me? "

" Yes, you can, sir. " Brock sighed heavily. His advice wasn't going to be taken by the tired man in front of him. He was quite positive Mason wasn't going to grant himself some necessary rest.

And indeed, Perry Mason didn't rest, but he did go home to take a shower, shave, change into fresh clothes and even have breakfast. The start of this day, the voice of his Della through the phone in the middle of the night, the fact that she had been feeling secure and smart enough to give him clues, had finally provided him with the energy he was going to need in the next 40 hours.

####

All four of them didn't recognize the man that walked into the bank, holding Della's arm. The images were also quite fuzzy. But it was very clearly it was Della who took the money with her, when she walked out.

" Why on earth would they give Della Street so much money, just like that? " Paul snapped his fingers and couldn't hide his surprise. He saw it happening on the screen in front of him, but couldn't understand it.

" That's a stupid question, Paul. " Mason stated.

" Why? "

" They gave Della Street the money, because she is Della Street. "

" Sure, but…"

" No, no but... In the forty years she worked for this office, she never did anything corrupt, dishonest or illegal . And she is my confidential secretary. Banks know about that. "

" So they trust her…"

" Yes, Paul. They trust her, and for very good reasons… Now look, one of her clues was: _'check the money'_ …" Mason said thoughtfully. " But we checked it, right? A couple of times… We know how much is missing, we know how she took it, we know when…"

" Well, actually, Mr. Mason, there was something weird about how she took it. " Amy looked at him.

" What, Amy? " Ken growled. If Mason had paid attention, he could have heard the hint of disapproval in Ken's voice.

" Well, you can see from the CCTVimages that Miss Street uses a calculator before she decides what amount to take with her. "

" So? "

" So? If you have to take out a large amount, or let's say someone told her to take it all, why would she need a calculator? She knew the exact balance, right? Why would someone let her take out a very specific amount, unless..."

" Go on…" Mason frowned and narrowed his eyes.

" ...unless her kidnapper wanted it to be a specific amount, or maybe…"

" ...go on…."

" … she herself wanted it to be specific…" Amy continued, as she was obviously conducting her thinking while she spoke.

" Details, Perry. Details. " Ken was reminded of the interrogation of his master three nights ago.

" Do you really think you're funny, Ken? "

" No. I don't. But now I come to think of it, a lot of what you said to me, a lot of what you taught me when I interrogated you, you aren't using yourself now. _'don't use bodylanguage, don't show your emotions unless it's useful, be specific, get into the details…'_ You're showing emotions overtime, Perry. And not very useful..."

A short silence filled the room. Drake hid his smile behind his hand while he watched Perry frowning the deepest frown he had ever seen on the big man's face. Then he answered in a stern voice. " Now shut up, Ken. Listen to your Della Street here, she has some real useful information she cares to share with us. "

Drake shifted in his chair.

" Did you actually care to check the amounts she left in your bankaccounts, Mr. Mason? " Amy tried to sound businesslike.

" What do you mean, Amy? "

" Well, I started thinking, because of the calculator she used at the bank and because Ken told me you first dated your Miss in December 1947…"

" Yes…." Perry still frowned at Ken from over the rim of his glasses.

" I thought, the amounts Miss Street left on your accounts could refer to a certain important number or maybe a date… Here, this is the amount she left on your private account, she left $ 9.319,48. That could be the third of September 1948 maybe? " Amy watched Mason closely. " Is that a significant date to you, Mr. Mason? Do you recognize it? "

" Yes, " Perry rubbed his beard slowly, startled by this coincidence. Which wasn't a coincidence maybe. " Yes, it actually is…."

" Well? "

" Well, what, Amy? "

" What was the occassion? "

" I'm not going to tell you, young lady. "

" Why not? "

" Amy, for goodness' sake…" Ken as much as yelled at her.

" Ken, it may be relevant to know what the occassion was to be able to find out where she is. But ehm, don't worry… I already know what the occassion was…" Amy gauged Perry's reaction. " Either it was the date they kissed for the first time, or the date they slept together for the first time…"

" Oh, dear, Amy... " Drake couldn't hide his misplaced sense of shame, and watched Ken who just shook his head and threw up his hands at Amy's boldness.

" It's all right." Perry raised his hand. " I don't think it's relevant, Amy, but as soon as I think it is, I'll tell you… all right? " Perry watched her with a mixture of amusement and agitation. " But, good thinking….And, if this is referring to a date, the other amount might also refer to a date. Do you happen to have the other amount Della left? "

" As a matter of fact I have. Right here: $ 226,87." Amy tilted her head, and looked up. " That would be the twenty-sixth of February nineteeneightyseven. Sir. "

" What could that be about? " Ken asked, taking the bankpapers out of Amy's hands.

" I don't know. It doesn't ring a bell immediately… " Perry thought out oud.

" A case? "

" Could be. We'll have to check the files…and the calendar of that month. "

" The files? "

" In the archive, or Della's filecabinet…" Perry said wearily.

" Yeah, sure. "

" You need any help with that? " Amy watched Ken triomfantically.

" No. Paul worked here that year, I'll go check it out with him. " Paul nodded in agreement. " You check the office-schedule of that year. It should be somewhere in the archive, Amy. Behind the library over there. " Ken pointed.

Perry took the remote control to watch the video's of the bank again. He noticed his heart was beating more lightly now. Della had left her clues, they had found a start, the chase had begun. He no longer felt at mercy of the odds, there was something they could do, he could do. He was indeed kicking in doors now, albeit figurative. It felt good.

Halting the images on the screen, he thought about the third of September 1948, which was a very important date indeed. It was the first night she had completely given herself to him, mind, soul and body. He dearly remembered his speechless awe when he had undressed and caressed her incredible beauty and softness for the first time. He remembered her sweet hesitation to touch him, and when he had whispered to her _'let go, let me love you'_ she had indeed, but very slow and tentative, let go of her reserves. In the end, the movements of her hands and her responsiveness had told him that he was definetely not the first, but could quite well be the last she was making love to. She had moaned his name, and had softly said _'I love you, Perry'_ which had made him spill tears quietly, because he thought he had never heard something more beautiful, that was so fulfilling to his wishes and matching with his dreams. To hear these three loving words combined with his name, spoken by her lips and given sound by her voice, had become one of the most important reasons for him to live. Which to this day had never changed.

But why would she refer to this date here? What was the hint? Was it a hint? What was the meaning of this? What was she trying to tell him? Was it _'I love you, Perry'_ ?

Paul Drake's voice pulled him out of his reverie. " We found the case we were working on in February 1987, Perry. You might not like it, though… February 26th 1987 was the day of the aquittance of Glenn Robertson, from Luke Dickinson's murder. "

Perry blew out a big breath. " Oh…"

" Yeah, 'oh' all right. I have some real serious, not very pleasant memories about that one. " Paul Drake watched Perry carefully.

" The Robertson's case… Who was the prosecutor, Reston wasn't it? " Perry asked.

" Yeah. " Paul checked the file.

" He lives here in Denver somewhere. Find him and get him on the phone for me, please, Ken."

" Right away, Perry. "

"Paul, I need you to watch the video of the bank again with me."

" Sure. Why? "

" I think I know now who the man was that went into the bank with Della. Check out the last images, please. "

Staring at the screen, Perry nodded with a very unpleasant grimace on his face. " Yes, it's him. "

" Who is it, Perry? " Paul quiried, afraid he already knew the answer.

" It's Glenn Robertson…" Perry sighed.

" I was afraid you were going to say that…but it doesn't make sense…."

" No, it doesn't make sense at all…"


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

Paul Drake shook his head. " But that doesn't make sense, Perry. Why? Why would Glenn Robertson want to do this to Della? And to you? And why in the name of...of… whatever…. would he want her to take so much money? I mean, he's loaded himself ? "

" Yes. " Mason rubbed his neck. " I know what you mean. We're definetely missing motive here..."

" Yeah, well, you took very good care of the opportunity yourself, Perry, letting her just walk out of here …"

" Thanks, Paul. I really needed that... "

" Sorry. I didn't mean it like that…" Drake sighed. " I must be tired… I just want to find her, Perry… " Mason smiled a small smile to him, as if to say it was all right.

" Now that we positively identified Glenn Robertson..., " Paul hesitated and started to pace. " … I have another very unpleasant thought ... "

Perry shrugged. " I have had the most unpleasant thought yesterday morning, Paul. I don't think it can get any worse. Try me. "

" I was thinking, could the body they found, possibly be Laura Robertson's ? "

" That also crossed my mind…but no, I don't think so, Paul. I don't think it's her. And, if she were missing, it would have been all over the news too. "

" Yeah, and you would have recognized her body, wouldn't ya? I mean you probably know every single inch of that body too… "

" Paul Drake, don't even think about going there. And I don't. "

" Don't what? "

" Don't know every single inch… oh you're just assuming and presuming like anyone else ... Now think. It wouldn't make sense either. Why would Glenn kill his wife now ? If he had wanted to kill her, because of what she did to him two years ago, he would have done it way before. "

" They didn't divorce after the trial? "

" No. They're still together. According to the newspapers anyway. "

" Yeah, well, the newspapers… Have you seen the rubbish they have printed about you and Della? "

" I did. " Mason nodded, and squeezed Drake's shoulder lightly, giving him a reassuring smile. " Ignore it, Paul. Yesterday I realised it's always been like that, and that it shouldn't eat our energy. It's not worth it. "

Paul sighed deeply. " Okay, so what's next? "

" I want you to go and see Brock with the video from the bank, and tell him what we found. Also run checks on Glenn Robertson. I agree with you that this doesn't make sense at all… that there must be something we don't see. Something important. "

" You got it, Perry. See ya. "

" Reston on the phone for you, Perry." Ken yelled at Perry from behind Della's desk.

" Perry Mason, is that you? " The calm and quiet voice of Michael Reston was a delight to Mason's tired and very busy mind.

" Yes, Michael, Perry Mason. "

" I heard your wife is missing, Mason. Well, your Miss Street. I'm very sorry to hear about that. "

" Thank you, thank you for your concern. But listen, Michael, I'm sorry to bother you on a Sunday, I wouldn't do that if I didn't think it was necessary. Now the reason I'm calling you is because Miss Street's disappearance seems to be related somehow to a case we did, the People vs. Robertson in 1987. You were prosecuting then. "

" Ah, yes, I remember that case. He was Laura Robertson's husband, she was running for senate at the time. It was quite a personal thing to you as I recall. "

_Yes, I do recall that too, don't remind me…_ " Listen, Michael, do you recall anything about that case, anything at all that might explain why Glenn Robertson could be involved in Miss Street's disappearance? A motive, whatsoever? "

" Wow, I can't come up with something just right away, Mason. I'll have to go into the casefiles again, but I'd be very glad to help. I can do that, and get back to you if I come up with something, if that's what you want ? "

" That would be fine. Could I also ask you for copies of your files about that particular case? I seem to have lost some detailed information, like the transcripts of the courtsessions. It should be around here somewhere, but now that I'm without my secretary, well…." Perry tried to joke, but failed. It felt out of place. He felt weary.

" Right, Mason. I'll see what I can do for you. I'll get them as soon as possible, and make some copies. I can do that within an hour. "

" Thank you, Michael. I really appreciate that. I'll send Paul Drake to you to pick them up, and if you come up with anything, anything at all, tell him please, or tell me. "

He put the phone down, and thought about his next action for very long. Not sure about it at all, he hesitated, picked up the phone and put it down again. Pursing his lips, he stood up, swore, squeezed his hands to fists, limped around his desk, swore again, and sat down. He threw his cane through his office, then he sought for a phonenumber, swore again, pressed the number and picked up the phone, ignoring Ken who came in to see what was wrong.

" Lewis? It's Mason here. Are you still Laura Robertson's attorney ? "

Of course he heard what he thought he'd hear, Laura Robertson was safe and sound. According to Lewis, Laura's husband was working overtime, and gone now for the weekend. They weren't worried about that, because Glenn used to do this all the time, going away without telling her where he went exactly. So, apart from a few marital affairs and a minor legal discussion that would be solved, all was fine as far as Stan Lewis was concerned. As a matter of fact, Stan was going to see her now, because the police wanted to question her about something.

Even before Mason thanked Lewis, and put the phone back in its cradle, he knew he had made a mistake. Somehow, sometime soon, she was going to learn about this phonecall, and who knows how she would react on it? After all, ever since Perry had arranged his former student Stan Lewis to take her defense two years ago, they had not been in contact. He had felt no urge at all to return her phonecalls, not before and not after Stan had taken care of her acquittal. Whatever it was she wanted from him at that time, if she couldn't tell it by just writing him a letter, he did not want to hear or see her. And now in a way, he had contacted her, albeit through her attorney.

Seriously condemning himself for what he just did, he turned his attention to Ken, who shook his head over the note Della had read to Perry the night before.

" Perry, the note doesn't mean a single thing, it says nothing, it doesn't make sense at all. It is not a threat, it is not a demand for anything, it's merely a statement than anything else. It might be something poetic, maybe..."

" And it also doesn't make sense at all in relation to Glenn Robertson…" Mason added. " Maybe we should ask Amy to look at it, her last ideas were very useful. Where is she by the way? "

" She left. She was angry with me, because I was angry with her. " Ken rubbed his neck, and smiled his insecure smile. " She said she had to go somewhere and she didn't need me there. "

" Well, at least her last actions showed how you need an assistant, partner, or whatever you want to call it …she did find out about the dates Della left us. "

" So was she right? "

" About what, Ken? "

" About that date, third of September 1948? "

" Yeah, it is an important date to me, well, to us. I'm glad she found out, I don't know exactly what Della meant to say with it, but it's important. "

" Yes, but was she right? "

" About what? "

" Well, was it your first kiss, or ehm…."

" I told you before not to go there..." Perry growled at Ken.

" I'm sorry, Perry. " Ken chuckled softly at the big man's refusal to say anything, which in itself told him everything he wanted to know.

" No, Ken, I'm sorry…I shouldn't bark at you... " Perry snorted. He realised he had just given away the information he didn't want to share.

" Let's just say, as Drake senior said before, Della Street was and is definetely the closest I've ever been to heaven, and the first day I realised that, as you said, on a not-job related basis, was the third of September 1948. "

Ken chuckled, remembering his earlier, very unsuccesful interrogation of his boss, as Perry showed his dimpled grin. " I can't put it more businesslike, Ken. "

" Well, if you start to talk about your lovelife in a businesslike manner, we better find her very soon, right ? "

" Yes. Please. " Perry took the notes he had made before to read them out loud. " So, what else did she say: _'not really down or anything'_ ,'_big building'_, _well-maintained'_, '_the rest, all the rest' , 'bad handwriting', 'reading glasses', 'familiair' . _

" Let me see that, Perry… wooow... " Ken stood up and sank down on his chair again immediately. He held his head in his hands.

" Are you okay ? " Perry watched him.

" Dizzy…"

" Tired ? "

" Yeah, well, I'm not really tired, just very hungry. I can't remember actually when I had something to eat for the last time. "

" Well, that's what happens to us men when there are no women around, we forget to take care of ourselves... Let's go to my place and have something to eat. "

" That's not really necessary, Perry. We can grab a sandwich somewhere and come back here…"

" We'll do that, grab a sandwich somewhere, but we'll go to my place anyway. I need something I forgot to take with me…"

" What? "

" My pills…" Ken snorted in reaction.

As they drove through the gate on the entranceway to his house, Perry was glad to see that the securitymen he had hired before, were now finally succesful at removing the eager and bold journalists from his premises. At least now there would be no journalist at his doorstep anymore.

The moment he opened his frontdoor Ken remembered him to phone Paul and tell him to fetch the documents about the Robertson's case at Michael Reston's, and maybe talk to him about Glenn.

When he walked back from his homeoffice to Ken in the living room, the heavy and expensive perfume coming his way made his internal alarmbells go off very loud.

" Perry, there is a lady here to see you? " Ken's hesitating voice was confirming his expectations.

" A lady? " But he already knew who it was, and damned himself again and very thoroughly for phoning her lawyer. He could and should have known she'd react this way.

" Ken, this is Laura Robertson, she used to be one of my clients. " Her eyebrows raised a little about this introduction. " Laura, this is my apprentice, Ken Malansky…" She watched Ken, whose mouth dropped when he realised who he had just let in.

" Is she…? "

" Yes, she is… " Mason confirmed, "...and that's probably why she got through security this easy..."

Laura ignored his remark, and as she threw her coat in the hands of a speechless Ken Malansky, Perry had to smile a very small smile. Her face had indeed aged, but not her attitude.

He sighed, loud enough for her to hear it. Ignoring her silent invitation to a friendly greeting, he turned from her. " Now, what are you doing here ? " Very obviously not offering her a drink, just pouring one for himself, he decided to give her five minutes of his time.

" I have just been questioned by the police…and your Paul Drake..."

" Yes. So? "

" About Glenn, and that he was seen with Della inside the bank, taking out your money before she disappeared. I'm so sorry about it, Perry, I don't know what to say. I just wish I could help. "

" I see. So, did they also tell you to go and see me? "

"No, I thought I could just say how very sorry I am about this. I have told them everything I know. And I told them I want to do anything to help. "

" You can start by telling us where you think Glenn is now. "

" I really don't know. I' ve tried to phone him at the usual places, but I didn't get an answer. He usually doesn't tell me where he goes in the weekends. But I guess Stan Lewis already told you that…" she came closer to look into his eyes provocatively "...when you phoned him about me. He told me you were looking for me. Why was that, Perry? Why now ? "

Her unsaid suggestion didn't anger him, but merely humoured him in a strange way. Would it really be possible she thought he actually needed her now that her so called 'rival' was missing? Or did she think the coast was clear ? Would she really think that? " The police had found a body, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't you. " He grimaced a smile to her.

" You were worried about me? Did you think it was me? "

" It could be you, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't. "

" Considering the last time we spoke and your obvious refusal to be in contact, I thought I was the last one you'd worry about. "

" It was a very battered and abused body. Nobody deserves to die that way, Laura. "

" Thank you for your concern, Perry... " she put her hand on his arm.

" Why ? For what? For being polite? " he took her hand from his arm, and stared coldly at her.

She turned her eyes from him and sighed. " I probably deserved that. " She swallowed hard. " You know…" it was almost a whisper… " I am still sorry, Perry…"

" You have a lot to be sorry for, Laura…" his voice was low, " I actually am sorry for you. You used to be so very in control, you were succesful, and you about lost it all, with noone else to blame for it than yourself. It must be hard. "

" Well, at least I know now. "

" Know what ? " He checked his watch, her five minutes were almost finished.

" What is important to me, and what I did wrong. I wish I could turn back time and change it all…"

" You can't. However, it's never too late to change yourself…"

" You think so ? "

" Yeah…"

" Do you think I can ? "

Suddenly he felt very tired. He realised he really did not want to waste his time and energy by arguing with her, and decided to say goodbye to her in a nice way. That way he at least could be sure she would cooperate and leave quietly. " Everybody can... "

" You're still so very kind, Perry. "

" Laura…" he took her face in his hands, and lightly kissed her forehead. " Thank you for coming by. Now, tell Ken here what you know, that could be of use to us, please? Anything at all? "

" I will, Perry. Thank you…"

" And take care of yourself…" then he turned to Ken. " I really need to rest, but just for an hour. Wake me up at seven p.m., please Ken. We'll go back to the office afterwards, and help Paul. " Ken nodded at him, and watched the lady he had heard so much about, sinking in a chair and crossing her legs. If Paul Drake hadn't told him about her breathtaking and very dangerous beauty, he would instinctively know about it himself now he had seen the look in her eyes could change from deeply loving to very, very icy in just one blink.

Perry looked at her from over his shoulder and watched her big gloomy brown eyes for one last time, detected why he had loved them once, and remembered why he firmly despised of them now.

He thought about the irony of things, when he dragged himself into his bedroom. Here he was, with Laura Robertson of all people, in his own home, while his lady, the one he needed most, was out there somewhere with Laura's husband Glenn. It was madness.

As he took off his shoes, the thought that this could not just be about Glenn Robertson, kept nagging in the back of his mind. No matter if Laura was or was not telling the truth about what she knew exactly, why would Glenn do this? He seemed such a normal, intelligent, sensitive and emphatic person at the time. But then again, he had also been very, very wrong about Laura, hadn't he?

He took his painpills and lay down, feeling so tired he thought he couldn't sleep. Yet he could.

**#####**

She couldn't sleep, although she was very tired and really needed to have a few hours of rest before diner. She hadn't been able to sleep at all last night after reading this stupid note to Perry. Hearing his querying and worried voice, obviously taking up on her clues, and then his despair at the end. Of course he was going to find her, of course noone could ever succesfully tear them apart. She knew it was just a matter of time before he'd find her. But how much time? And could the man that held her captive here, hurt her in that time? And how much?

And why of all people in the world, had Glenn Robertson brought her to this idiot that was holding her captive for God knows what reason? With pityfull eyes Glenn had handed, there was no other word for it, handed her over to the idiot that felt he was her boss now. And to this woman, dressed in white, he referred to as his daughter.

Glenn Robertson. Last night, after reading the note to Perry, she had cried out of frustration, and Glenn had come to see how she was doing, or calm her down or whatever he wanted to do when he came in. She had watched him closely, her angry eyes shooting fire at him, and she had demanded an explanation. But he had said nothing except that he was sorry, and thought he just had to do what he did.

She had urged, almos begged him to take her home, and to tell her where she was, and why for heaven's sake. As a reaction, he had shrugged, and told her he couldn't go home either.

Half an hour ago, he had come in again to hang something in the adjoining walk-in closet she hadn't even cared to look into yet.

He had sat down on her bed next to her and said " Let me comfort you, Della. We're in this together…"

" Get lost, Glenn. The only way you can help me, is to get me out of here. But since you're the one that brought me here in the first place, I don't think you will…"

He had touched her shoulder, and she had hit his hand away from her.

It had probably been his hurt ego, that had made him say the words that were still echoing in her ears now. " I'm sure you'd want me to tell you that my wife was seen going into your house this afternoon. It was all over the news. They suggested it was possibly to hold Perry Mason's hand and comfort him… or to do whatever they did before you and I crossed their paths…" He had leaned forward and added " ... Miss Street… Now I wonder why that never changed into Mrs. Mason? "

" It's none of your business, Glenn…, " her answer had been as icy as her stare.

" Maybe, maybe not? "

" No, not at all. " Then, when he had opened his mouth to say something again, she had added very firmly, " I don't think I need to tell you that a nice ceremony with speaking vows and signing a piece of paper together, automatically means you have an equally balanced, healthy, respectful and loving relationship, now, do I? I rather have the relationship I just described to you, like I have now, than a marriage that looks like yours... And as far as Laura is concerned, Glenn, she is probably just taking advantage of Perry, like she always is. "

And then she had decided to hit him one more time. " But, I guess you know what I'm talking about…"

She had cried when he had slammed the door, and turned the key and the locks that were on the other side to make sure she just couldn't escape. Now all she could think of was going home, to be with him, in his arms, in their bed...She would definetely be able to sleep there now.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

The soft stroking of her fingers through his hair didn't wake him up completely, yet he noticed it. He relished in it for a while, before he gently took her hand, and brought her arm down to his waist. He kissed her lips softly, murmured a soft _'I love you' _as he pulled her to him to rest her head on his shoulder and to let her sleep wrapped up safely in his arms.

She was so warm in his arms. The joy of this and the wonder of all the memories they had together made his lips curl into a smile. If she could see his face now, she would stroke his beard and kiss him, before softly asking him what he was thinking about. He'd whisper to her ear and she'd roam her hands over his body in such a way that his smile became wicked and he'd have to touch her at places he knew aroused her. Then he'd make love to her slowly. No matter what time of day or night, their sweet lazy lovemaking interludes held magic, the drowsy slumber of needed sleep accompanied by the warmth of their bodies, their bed, and their passionate hunger for eachother would combine into a delicious dream. Her quiet gasps and moans coming to his ears encouraging him to continue his carressings and as he'd kept on moving, a shuddering sigh would follow her silent intense release and then he'd halt his breath before moaning her name to her ear. She would dwell in his arms afterwards, sated and spent, their breathing would steady and they would fall asleep together again and continue dreaming.

He was about to start this slow dance, when he felt his body responding to her. Here and now, because she was back in his arms.

Back in his arms.

Back in his arms. How did she get here? Where had she been? Hadn't she told him? No logical explanation came to his slowly waking up mind.

Awareness struck him.

This wasn't her scent.

This wasn't her hair.

This wasn't Della.

" What the hell? " he threw back the covers, and yanked the unfamiliair arms from his chest.

" Laura! " He yelled at her. He sat up, rubbing his lips where he felt Della's kiss. " What are you doing ? What the hell are you thinking? Are you out of your mind? "

" I'm sorry, Perry. I ... " Laura moved from the bed trembling and put on her jacket to close it tight around her.

Mason stood up, infuriated, breathing heavily, fire shooting from his eyes, his hands squeezed into fists. " Get the hell out of here, Laura... You really don't get it, do you? "

" I was hoping I could comfort you. I thought you'd be fine with it. You were so sweet with me earlier..." she tilted her head. " It didn't really feel as if you were minding…." She walked towards him and reached out. " And I do still love you, you know that, don't you? "

" You love me? You don't know what you are saying, Laura... Dammit! You say you love me... You don't even know..." he paused when something struck him hard, real hard, " ...the meaning of the word….. Of course…."

_' meaning of the word' 'without love'_

" Perry….what ? "

_'bad handwriting'_

" Shut up... " He reached for the papers next to his bed, and read the note he had made when Della had phoned him. His eyes went through his remarks, and the text she had read to him word for word. " Of course… dammit! "

_'big well-maintained building'_

" Perry, what in the world….? " Startled by the screams of his employer, Ken ran into the bedroom.

" Ken! Get Paul on the phone for me…he should be in the office now..."

" But Perry …."

" Now! "

" What are you doing here? I showed you out ? I thought you were leaving? " Ken asked Laura while he pressed the numbers to phone the office.

" I was in his bed, when he got an idea…"

_'familiair' 'not really down or anything'_

Perry stared at her, and then growled in a low voice. " Don't. You. Start."

" Perry…"

" Get out! "

Laura briskly turned around and slammed the door on her way out.

" Perry, I have Paul here…"

He yanked the phone out of Ken's hand and looked at him with frantic eyes.

" You, listen to this too. "

_'familair' 'reading glasses' 'bad handwriting'_

" What have you got, Perry ? " Drake heard Perry's voice was oldfashionedly loud and hurried. The excitement was palpable. He knew he shouldn't feel the thrill he felt, but the chase was good, the hunting was about to start for real now.

_'the rest, all the rest'_ _'the meaning of the word' 'not really down or anything' _

"Paul, it's the doctor, the psychiatrist who treated Laura Robertson for depression, remember? He used ECT on her, shocktreatment, and so I accused him in the courtroom of misusing this treatment to get the woman he loved. Do you have the transcripts of the case there? "

" Yes…I got the copies here from Reston, just a second... "

" What's his name? "

" Hang on… " Paul heard Perry's foot tapping on the floor, " Dr. Emmett Michaels, Perry…"

" Emmett Michaels… dear God… Read the transcripts of my questioning out loud to me. The last question..."

" Just a second… wait… I have it here… You asked if he thought he was in love with Laura Robertson, then he didn't answer the question, then he was summoned by the judge, then he said 'yes, I am in love with her' and then you said ' love? Emmett Michaels, you don't even know the meaning of the word….' "

_' Now that I have taken all that you value, your money and your love, maybe the meaning of the word will come to me even better than to you. '_

The note Della had read to him finally made sense.

" Lord…." Mason closed his eyes. Dr. Emmett Michaels, who had lost all that he valued after the Glenn Robertson's case, he was prosecuted for quakery, lost his contact with the woman he loved, being Laura Robertson, his practise, his license, his eminence … everything he worked for … How confused, how angry was he, what could he do to Della?

" Is his adress in the files, Paul? "

" I started looking for that, but there seems to be no adress in here. It shouldn't be hard to find though. But, jeezz, Perry… "

" What? "

" If he used ECT on Laura Robertson for no good reason, then what the hell will he do to Della? "

_Think, Mason, think._ " Nothing, Paul. He can't do anything. He lost his license shortly after the case, so he shouldn't have access to the devices to perform ECT. He's without equipment to do shocktreatment. " _I hope…_

" Yeah, well, 'shouldn't' and 'hasn't' are two different things. And I reckon he doesn't need equipment like that to do something bad to her... " _Shut up, Drake!_

" Don't get started about that, Paul. Get your ass over here, we have to find him… Now. "

Emmett Michaels. Mason sighed heavily, and massaged his temples, like Della used to do when he felt a headache coming up. Yet his own hands couldn't do what her magical hands could. His headache became even worse.

He suppressed all thoughts that were coming up in his mind, just to let the most useful ones through. He had learnt a lot from the Robertson's case, about human behaviour, trust, betrayal and most of all about true love.

But he had also learnt about the very serious bad side-effects of shocktreatment, and that one of them was severe amnesia.

" Ken, phone Brock to tell him what we found, and get the adress of Emmett Michaels somewhere. Anywhere. "

" Right away…"

When he turned, he noticed Laura was walking to the frontdoor. " Laura? " he barked at her. " What are you doing? Where do you think you are going? "

" I called a taxi to get away from here. I really don't know what I am doing here anymore. "

He took her arm. " No. Stay here, and sit down…" Her brown eyes watched him angry and quizically, as he proceeded. " I need to talk to you about Emmett Michaels. "

" What? Emmett Michaels? My psychiatrist? " she lit a cigarette. " Why ? What about him? "

" He has something to do with Della's disappearance. "

She snorted. " Oh, sure. How do you know? "

" I just know. Tell me about Emmett, tell me where he is now. "

" I really don't know, Perry. After you found out what he did to me I found myself another doctor of course. I haven't seen him since. "

" Where does he live now? "

" At the same adress I suppose. He used to have a private practise somewhere up north. Shouldn't be too hard to find. Not even for your people. "

" What's the adress? "

" I don't know, Perry. I don't remember unimportant things like that, you know. A certain someone once told me to have my head clean of unimportant details, so that's what I do. It helps me…"

" Think. Where does he live now? "

Laura shrugged. " I really don't know. "

His blue eyes stared the steel stare to her. " Right. That'll be all. You can leave now. "

The darkbrown angry eyes in front of him darkened fiercely. " Don't you talk to me like that, Perry Mason. I'm not one of your staff. " She hissed at him.

" Don't you just wish you were... "

She narrowed her eyes, and pointed at him with her index finger. " Oh…. you… You know the only reason why I still want you, Perry, and why I will never stop chasing you, one day you will find out that I'm the best for you, and you for me. I just won't settle for less than the best. "

" Exactly my point, Mrs. Robertson. I won't settle for less either. "

Her shoulders sunk in just a little, before she turned from his gaze. He knew he had hit her hard this time, using the combination of his steel stare, the tone and timbre of his voice together with his words as a weapon.

As he watched her shoulders starting to shake, Ken ran to him.

" Perry, I have the adress of Emmett Michaels here. Brock had found it in his sytem somewhere. It seems Michaels hasn't moved. He just ended his practise, but he still lives there. "

Mason took the adress from Ken, grabbed his jacket from the hallstand and walked to the frontdoor, ignoring Laura who was obviously trying to get herself together again. " I'm going there now. "

" I'm going with you. " Ken grabbed his coat, and searched for his carkeys.

" No. You stay here to catch up with Paul. Go to this adress together with him, and I'll meet you there. Tell him to carry his gun. "

" Are you going there all by yourself? "

" Yes… why ? " Mason watched him quizically.

" Well, you can't drive, Perry, I mean… your knee…"

" Damn…" Then he turned to Laura. " You just called a taxi, right? "

" Yes, but…"

" Right, you phone another. I'll take the one you phoned... "

####

" Have you already seen what I brought you, dear? " Emmett Michaels' voice coming out of the walk-in closet startled her. He had been walking in and out of her room and closet for a couple of minutes now. She had ignored him succesfully, until now.

" No. I'm not interested…"

" Please, come in and see this. You'll love it. "

She sighed wearily and held her arms tight around her. Lack of sleep, feeling cold and lonely in Perry's absence, missing warm strong long arms around her, she walked to Michaels. He showed her a beautiful long red dress, with a V shaped neck and back, the skirt wide and wrinkled. Underneath the dress he held a pair of red heels, the color of them matched the color of the dress perfectly.

" How would you like to wear this? " he watched the dress approvingly " Why don't you wear this to diner tonight? "

" Is that… is that Armani? " she hesitated to come closer and then took the dress to feel the fabric. " My, it is…"

" Yes, my dear, it is… and I have a string of pearls to go with it. It'll suit you. Like all of this will…"

She reluctantly squinted at the clothes that were all around her in the high closet.

She tried to steady her appearance. The closet was hanging full with clothes of all brands she loved. And they were all her size. The heels all matched in color with the dresses and skirts hanging above them, and seemed to be all her size too. He had spent a lot of money and had gone through great lengths to get this wardrobe together, knowing her taste, knowing her size.

This was scary, really scary.

" Why? " She hurried to give him the dress back. She dropped it on the floor when he didn't take it from her.

" Why what, my dear? "

" Why, Emmett, why all these clothes, these shoes? Why take me away from home? What is it you want? "

" I want you to feel at home here, Della…" Emmett picked up the dress and hung it in the closet.

" But, this is madness … Emmett, this must have cost you a fortune. I'm not going to wear them, they're not mine. And I just want to go to my own home. " She followed him, walking into her room again.

" Home is where the heart is, darling, and this is where your heart is, right? Nice clothes, good food, pearls, your heart will be here soon… you'll feel better in a couple of days…" He put his arms up in the air, before he sat down on the chair next to her bed.

_No. Not ever. Never._

" Is this because of Perry Mason? The Robertson's case, two years ago? "

" Well, no actually. Although he made me lose my job…"

" No he didn't. You performed ECT on Laura Robertson while that was not necessary. It was not even permitted, as I recall. He just stated a fact, and you lost your license and your job because you did something that wasn't allowed..."

" I took care of her! She was severely depressed before, and was feeling a lot better after she left this clinic. She was cured when she left... I cured her. "

" Yes, so you said. Are you very sure that wasn't just because she had some necessary rest and took the medication she ought to have long before? Took time to think about things? " she watched him closely. " You loved her, Emmett. Having her with you was for your own convenience, right? You wanted her with you, so you diagnosed her, and treated her in the way it suited you best? "

" I loved her. "

" So you said. "

" I love you. "

" Don't be ridiculous ... And if you really loved me, you'd take me home right now. "

He watched her intensely, then suddenly looked away and stood up. " You can walk out of here anytime…you know that? "

" No, I can't Emmett. The doors are locked. "

" Not anymore…I told Jennifer to unlock all doors. You're free to go. "

" Well, if that is so, than that is exactly what I am going to do right now. Walk out of here. " She picked up her jacket from a chair in the corner.

" And go back to Mason, " he stated.

" Why would you care? "

" Okay, you walk out of here…"

" Bye, Emmett. It was not nice meeting you again."

" However…" Emmett turned and faced her.

" What ? " Her anger rose to an unknown level.

" If you leave, I'm going to kill myself…" his big eyes examined her reaction. His eyes were all over her face, taking in every muscle, every pore. " Could you live with that, Della ? "

" What? " she stared at him in disbelief.

" It would be the same as killing someone, don't you think? Could you ever face Mason again, knowing that you killed someone? Killed me? Would he defend you if he knew you were responsible, guilty? That you really did it this time? "

" Don't be ridiculous. If you kill yourself, then you kill yourself. There is nothing I can do about it. I would not be responsible at all. And you know it. And Perry knows it. " she walked away to open the door, which indeed was unlocked. " You lost it, Emmett. "

He took a small shiny silverplated pistol out of his suitjacket and put it on the table. " I'll shoot myself… and you'll be to blame... " He sat down and watched her.

" You are insane…" she hesitated and walked back to the table.

" If that is so, then I'm of no use and you can leave me... " He sat back in his chair.

" You're blaming other people for the things you did and do yourself, you're not taking responsibility at all. You're pathetic. " She threw her jacket on the chair she had just taken it from. " Damn you! " She tightened her jaws, and swallowed the tears that were about to surface.

" Oh, does this mean you're staying? Does this mean you actually care about me? "

" No, I just think nothing is worth to kill yourself for. " She threw her hands up. " For earths' sake Emmett, you are a psychiatrist yourself. You know how it works… "

" Yes, well. Knowing about it doesn't always cure it, Della Street…" He stood up and smiled boyishly. Then grinned. " But, since you're staying... we could have some fun together… maybe you can get dressed for the occasion I had in mind… or should I say...undressed? " As he came closer, a shiver went through her body as if he was already touching her.

" Don't even think about it…" her fierce eyes watched him very carefully. Any moment, she was ready to lift her knee upwards to a place he was very vulnerable.

" You're so very soft…, " his eyes looked at something far away in the distance while his hand touched her cheek. She smelt a mixture of sweat and alcohol. His hollow eyes made her feel nauseous. He was really, really insane.

" Stay away from me..." she hissed at him, breathing heavily.

" You just want to be touched by only one man, won't you? "

" So…? "

" That man being Mason…"

" It's none of your business..."

" So, if I want to make love to you, I have to ask his permission? "

" Don't be ridiculous. "

" Hmmm? But you're his, aren't you? "

" I am mine. I'm the only one who decides about me…"

" So, if I want your body…"

" ...you'll have to wait until I give it to you…" she tilted her head, and narrowed her eyes. " Which very clearly will never happen, Emmett…"

" ...or I can just take it? " his breath was hot on her face. She turned from him, disgusted by his nearness. He grabbed her wrists.

She forced herself to swallow her fear and look into his eyes with a very cold gaze. Her voice was low. " If you _just take it_, Emmett, you'll have my body but you don't have me. Not ever. "

" Because that's meant for Mason, right? "

" For as long as he proves to be worth it, yes. "

As sudden as he grabbed her, he let go. She took a few steps away from him, and hugged herself with her arms tight around her. Her breath came out in quick gasps.

" Why am I here, Emmett? "

" You are loved by me, Della. I'm taking care of you, buying you clothes, shoes, perfume, your favourite champaign, your favourite food… I thought you would like that. "

" I don't want to be loved by you… Emmett. I still don't get it. Why am I here? Am I a substitute for someone, for Laura? " She didn't get his game. He was playing a game, but she didn't know why.

" I want to spoil you. "

" I don't want to be spoilt by you…"

" I want to know what love is, my darling. "

" I'm not your darling. " she whispered, turning away from him.

" … and I need a mother for my daughter…"


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The taxidriver had fallen asleep long before Paul Drake showed up next to Mason's taxi at midnight. It was parked in a small alley, hidden from the rest of the world by a bunch of trees and small bushes. Drake climbed into the car to sit next to Perry. Ken waited outside next to his car and seemed nervous.

" There you are, finally… What the hell took you so long? And what's wrong? " Mason growled and pointed at Ken, who was walking back and forth at his car.

Drake followed the direction of Perry's finger. " What, you mean Ken? He can't seem to find his girlfriend, what's her name, Amy? They had a fight this morning in the office, she went off, and he hasn't seen her since. He thinks she went to her folks, and expects her to call his carphone any minute. "

Perry snorted.

" So, tell me, Sherlock, what's happening here ? What have we got? " Drake asked.

Perry pointed at a big white house on the other side of the alley. " That is the adress Brock found. It is supposed to be Emmett Michael's home. It seems desolated. I already went in and …"

" You already went in … Really ? "

" I know how to break into a house, Paul. Someone you mentioned before, we both knew very well, taught me how to do it. " He pursed his lips and started to speak again, but was cut off by Paul.

" For such an old man, you're quite amazing you know that? And I think I know who you mean also. I bet it's the same man who taught me how to do it. So, what have you found? "

" Well, nothing that really helps. No sign of recent usage. All dark, no lights inside or outside. Empty fridge. I've checked the entire ground floor. It's a mess in there, the kitchen and livingroom look like a … like your office before Della cleaned it. Papers and books stacked everywhere, dead plants. At the backside, there is a practise, with something that looks like it used to be a small library, but nothing of interest there. Empty, nothing in the cabinets, nothing on the shelves. There seems to be no basement either. "

" Upstairs? Attic or somethin' ? "

" I couldn't get up the stairs, because as you said before, I need you as my legs … " Perry watched the small grin appearing on Drake's face. " And I'm not old, by the way, Paul. "

" ' Course not. You just can't walk up the stairs. That doesn't sound old to me. At all. " Paul just watched Perry, with a mixture of boyishness and a smile. He climbed out of the taxi. " Right, we're going in, we'll check it out upstairs. Let's find the lady… "

Then he suddenly moved swiftly back into the taxi. " Speaking about ladies, Perry … I forgot … what is this bullshit about that Laura woman in your bed? "

" What ? "

" She came barging into your kitchen while I was talking to Ken about what happened and why you went all the way up here, and she said she was in bed with my boss … and phoned him a taxi? "

Mason sighed deeply and watched his companion with his steel stare. " What the hell do you think, _Paul Drake_? "

" Sure, _Perry Mason _… " Paul stared back at him. " But ehm… you know, the last time I saw you around her, you had a real hard time to get your eyes off of her…" He stared at the floor, while a small smile was tugging at his lips. He liked the fact that he seemed to be the only man that could get Perry Mason unreasonable with a pun. Very deliberately, he took the jokes too far, especially now. In his opinion, under these circumstances, distraction was what the old man needed. It made him perform so much sharper than when he was allowed to throw himself back in selfpity and guilt. And, he needed Perry to be sharp now. And, he had fun making him sharp. " You didn't sleep with her, did you? "

" I'm not even going to dignify that question with an answer. "

" Sure. But she was in your bedroom, Perry. In my world that means you were not exactly discussing what's on the frontpage of the Wall Street Journal."

" In her world, Paul, it meant she thought I could use her company … "

Paul Drake snorted.

" … and yes, she was in my bed for five minutes, and then I threw her out."

" Really, you only need five minutes? "

Mason took his cane and waved it to Drake as much as possible in the taxi. " Paul, for Gods' sake! Get in the house and see what the hell you can find. "

" Yeah, yeah. I'm gone already…" He motioned Ken to come with him, then turned on his heels and crawled back to the taxi in his typical way. Mason snorted, really annoyed now, recognizing the look on Drake's face, which matched his old man's when he was about to make a very bad joke.

Drake knocked on the window. Perry drew it open, and Paul held onto it while he asked. " So, seriously, Perry. All you have to do is lay down in your bed and a beautiful lady comes crawling to you? How come this never happens to me? "

" That's because I am very much more handsome and charming than you are. " Mason pinched Drake's chest.

" Yeah, and you've got the…" Paul pinched Mason's shirt " ...extra volume there…"

" Yes, it makes me look important and powerful. You want to have it? "

" Nah. Thanks. "

" Good. Now get the hell in there in and find the woman that should have been in my bed. "

Mason watched Ken and Paul walking to what was supposed to be Michael's house. The gun in Drake's hands made him wonder how this man was able to joke so fervently, and carry a gun at the same time, ready to threaten or wound, or maybe even kill. Mason shrugged. Maybe Paul was insane too. Maybe the whole world was insane.

####

She heard the whispering voices, the fumbling at the lock of what must be the frontdoor, the footsteps in the kitchen and in the livingroom downstairs. She had no idea who to expect this time.

Of course she had noticed Mason coming in earlier, walking around in the house. He hadn't bothered to be silent, throwing around furniture, swearing and slamming doors. He probably hadn't expected someone to be there. Or maybe he had, and had wanted whoever was there to wake up to come and see him. In stead, she had been trying to sleep through the noise and had pretended not to notice his presence.

She had not been surprised Mason hadn't come upstairs. She knew that he was heavy and big nowadays, his knees were bad, and he sometimes used a cane to be able to walk, so he probably couldn't move enough to climb the stairs.

It could be that Mason had come back with somebody else now, so the chances were that someone would come up the stairs and find her. What would she do? And what should she do? What would her father want her to do? She wished she could phone him now, but he had cut the phonelines this afternoon because he had found out that Miss Street had given Mason clues about them and her whereabouts. For safety reasons the next message to Mason would be delivered to him by mail again.

She admired her father somehow, and always had admired him. As he always said, being a psychiatrist himself, he knew he was insane, but he also knew he wasn't stupid. He just used his brilliant brain for different purposes, getting what he wanted in life in unusual ways, but getting it anyway, manipulating people and processes until he could take what he needed. And she would help him in any way possible, as she always had.

Reckoning her father would want her to defend herself now, she opened the drawer next to her bed, and pulled out the gun, to lay it underneath her pillow. Whoever it was out there, would meet strong resistance. Very strong resistance.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs scared her in a strange way, and she grasped the gun immediately, holding it tightly. When the sound of two voices reached her ears through the door of her bedroom, her heart started to race, it was thrilling her, exciting her. She suppressed a giggle. This could be fun. This would be fun. Killing someone again would feel as good as it felt the first time. Killing two people would be even better.

When the door swung open, she sat right up and fired the first bullet through the dooropening. The loud sound of the sudden shot was deafening, and the silence afterwards even more. Had she hit anything, anyone? No sound, no movement. She inhaled firmly. The scent of sweat and fear reached her nose. Concentrating more deeply, she heard the very soft blowing out of breath, and the sound of shifting shoes on the floor. The rubbing of fabric against a wall. Oh, there was definetely someone out there, alive.

The sudden sounds of descending footsteps on the stairs made her jump out of the bed, to walk to the wall next to the doorframe. Pushing her head and back against the wall, she concentrated again, suppressing a sigh of pure excitement. There was definetely someone on the other side of this wall.

She held the gun clasped in both hands, in front of her face, and closed her eyes.

It would be only a matter of time now.

The person on the other side of the wall would have to move first. She had all night to wait for it.

####

Mason wasn't sure if he really had heard a gunshot. He had been dozing off just a little, images of Della's face moving in front of him as if it were snapshots. The soothing sound of her voice in his ears, her soft hands clasped in his. He opened his eyes, put down his pen and notepad, climbed out of the taxi and swore silently but extensively at his knee, that was screaming at him. Again, he had forgotten to take his pills with him, and the sudden thought of having to think about that himself for the rest of his life, hit him like a sledgehammer. What if she would never be there to take care of him, what if Friday's kiss was the last one?

He shook of these thoughts and swore again, at himself this time.

" Damn it to hell and back … for Gods'sake, Mason, think …"

There were no sounds coming from the house, he didn't see Ken or Paul coming out. He decided to wait, and watched the driver of his taxi, who was making money while he was asleep behind the wheel. The man had told him, he had recognized Perry the moment he had exited his house. Not even worrying the slightest bit about if his bill could be paid, he had turned his attention to the road and the adress the big man had given him.

The ringing of a phone startled Mason. Wondering where the sound came from, he started limping in its direction, towards Ken's car. It was indeed Ken's carphone. Mason reckoned a phonecall at this time of night should be important, and reached through to the open window.

" Mason. "

" Mr. Mason? "

" Yes … Amy ?"

" Yes. Is Ken there? "

" No. "

" Oh… I see… Well, can you just tell Ken I'm fine? "

" Sure. "

" Thank you, Mr. Mason. Bye. "

Not even considering to interfere with Ken's business, he hung up. He didn't want to know what was going on between them, and turned his attention to the house again. No sound, no movement. For a moment he considered going in himself, but he knew he wouldn't be useful. He decided to do some investigating on his own.

He went back to the taxi, took up his notes and pen, and went back to Ken's car. He picked up the phone and pushed a number he unfortunately knew by heart now. After two rings the phone was picked up. Brock's assistant said Brock had left the station around ten p.m. and that he would be with Mason any minute now. The assistant also mentioned that Mr. Reston had left an urgent message for both Brock and Mason. Reston had found something that could be important.

After his phonecall to Reston, Mason limped to his taxi as fast as he could, and yelled at the taxidriver.

" Wake up! Go to this adress …" he as much as threw him the note with the adress, and climbed into the taxi again. " Hurry …"

The driver rubbed his eyes and took the note. " Sure … whatever you say, Mr. Mason … just give me a minute to wake up properly …"

" No. Right now! " Mason growled at him.

" All right, Mr. Mason. Here we go… "

The second gunshot could be heard shortly afterwards. But Mason didn't hear it, driving further away from the house, and closer to finding Della Street.

####

Downstairs, the door to the library opened and closed. She smiled. Someone was obviously trying to use the phone, but she had cut off all the lines in the house too.

Her opponent shifted from one foot to the other, and finally moved along the wall towards her door.

She held her breath, and started counting to herself

One.

Two.

Three.

Moving from the wall, turning around the doorframe to the other side, she held her gun pointed at the exact height of the heart of her opponent when they stood face to face.

They recognized eachother immediately, even in the dim light coming out of her room.

" Jennifer? "

For a moment they both froze, but she gathered herself together quicker than the detective. " I don't know what you're talking about. "

She held her gun pointed at his heart with one hand, while she took his gun from him with her other and tossed it on the floor.

" Put your hands up! " she hissed.

" Jeeeezzz… Jennifer..."

" Shut up … Put your fucking hands up ... "

" Jennifer, you don't have to do this …"

" Shut up … Kneel down …!"

Drake did as he was told, holding his hands behind his head.

She panted. If he had been anyone else, she would have shot him right away. She held the gun against his forehead.

Drake started to sweat, and swallowed hard. " So shoot me if you have to, Jennifer … "

" I'm going to shoot you. " She said it for her own reassurance, to give herself the courage to do it. She hated it that she knew him, and that he used her name and came so close to her by doing just that. The last time she had killed someone, it had only had been her insane mother, and it hadn't taken her any trouble because of the medication. But now … there was no medication. Her father wasn't here to provide her with it. Now it wasn't nice at all.

And she knew him. She knew the guy. And he used her name.

He watched her, looking up at her from under the gun. " But you don't have to, Jennifer… If you'd talk to me, we'll work this out. You don't have to do this, but if you have to, then please do it now." The detectives' soft voice spoke quickly but came to her from far away. The gun was shaking against his forehead. Her hands shook, she couldn't, she wouldn't, there was no way to, but she had to kill him. _If someone is in your way, kill him… _

_But you don't have to… _Different messages shot through her, coming from inside her brain, going to her hand that was still shaking badly, and she felt desoriented.

The shot that echoed in her ears now wasn't coming from her gun, was it? She looked at her gun in surprise, then watched the spot the bullet had gone in her body, saw the blood and felt the excruciating sharp pain in her knee after a few seconds, just before she fell to the floor and started to scream.

Drake kicked her gun away from her hand, and his vision became black at the same moment.

Ken Malansky's voice brought him back to consciousness. " Drake, you shot her. You shot the woman. "

" Yeah, well, she was about to shoot me, you idiot. Phone an ambulance … "

Drake stood up, holding his head in his hand, and holding his spare gun tight in his other hand. " And, Ken, get Perry in here. I want to know for sure this is who I think it is. "

Ken turned around to run down the stairs to the front of the house and looked out of the window. Lieutenant Brock was running to the frontdoor, with two of his men. Ken ran outside, passed Brock, and went to the spot Mason's taxi had been standing for the last couple of hours.

It was gone.

####

Della Street was sitting on the bedside and stared out of the window, into the darkness of the unlit lawn. The tears of utter frustration had finally stopped running from her eyes. Lack of sleep and constant fear of what was coming next, mixed with the exhausting, unpredictable and senseless conversations with Emmett Michaels were wearing her out physically and emotionally. She hated to admit he was getting to her with his insanity, his threats and his games. All the time not physically hurting her, but merely psychologically, playing his irrational games, using his genious insanity to get her out of her comfort zone and challenge her limits. His expert knowledge of the human mind gave him the means to push all the buttons to reach her deep running fears, to question her values, overstep her boundaries, and violate her basic principles.

Behind her on the bed Emmett had laid out three different wedding dresses, from which she had to pick one to be married in tomorrow. He wanted her to be Mrs. Emmet Michaels and the mother of his daughter Jennifer, the lady in white. The wedding dresses were original, handmade, and again all her size. He had spent thousands of dollars on them, as he had done on the clothing and shoes in the walk-in closet. It had taken her a while to realise that Emmett hadn't spent his own savings. The bills were probably all paid with Perry Mason's money, money he had worked hard for, they had worked hard for, for so many years. It was the money she had withdrawn from his bankaccounts last Friday, which was so long ago, it seemed an eternity.

Tonight, Emmett had said again, he would kill himself if she'd refuse to do what he asked her. Everytime she stood up against him, he pulled out the small shiny pistol to prove he would take his own life, because of her decision. She just wished she could say she didn't care and walk out, but she did care and she didn't walk out. Her reasonable mind said it wouldn't be her decision, that it was his own decision, but her heart told her otherwise. She'd feel guilty, indeed not wanting to be responsible for this. Starting to think she had control over his actions in this way, while it actually was the other way around, scared the hell out of her. The game was confusing and tormenting.

Now, of course she knew the marriage tomorrow, if legal at all, could be made undone easily considering these circumstances, when she came home.

If she came home.

Perry would laugh about it and shred it to pieces, even before he'd make a phonecall to one of the judges he'd worked with, to undo the vows.

Perry. Where was he now? What was he doing? How was he? Was he working out her clues? When would he receive the envelope, that included her rings, both the pinky ring and the amethyst ring he had given her years ago? What would he make of the letter that she had written, that was in the same envelope? Della had laughed about the content they had forced her to write. The letter said that she knew he was seen with Laura again, and that she thought he could use these rings to give them to her. Perry would never go for that of course, the story was made up very bad, but still. Being forced to take part in this charade, far away from home, involving Glenn Robertson of all people, and the woman in white, Emmett Michaels, it was a very bad dream she needed to wake up from.

In one smooth movement, she swept the wedding dresses from the bed onto the floor, where they fell down together in a big pile of white fabric. Pushing aside the awkward feelings and fearful thoughts, she tried to sleep. She was still fully dressed in the clothes she was wearing since last Friday, because she refused to wear anything else than her own.

Slumbering a little, finally feeling her muscles relax, a small sound that came out of the walk-in closet reached her ears. Refusing to get out of her needed slumber, she pretended not to hear it.

" Della…"

She ignored the whispering voice. She really had to sleep, needed to rest to be able to stay sane in this insane situation.

" Della…" _No. No. No. Let me sleep. _

" Della…! " It was a little louder this time. She opened one eye, and searched the room, because it seemed to be a familiair voice, not a voice from the last couple of days. Narrowing her eyes, she noticed the shape of a woman who was clumsily crawling to her bedside.

" Hi ... " A small smile appeared on Della Street's face. After checking for the second time, she felt sure enough to reach out a hand, and whisper to the woman.

" My … am I glad to see you… "

The woman squeezed her hand. " I'm glad to see you too … Are you all right? "


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The ambulance that drove past them in the opposite direction, didn't draw his attention.

It was just a ten minute drive to the adress Reston had given them. Mason's heart raced, his knee ached and his eyes hurt because he had held them open almost non-stop for a few days in a row now. But that wasn't what bothered him. What bothered him was the additional information Reston had found and given him about this adress and the owners of the real estate. About Emmett Michaels, but especially about his daughter Jennifer and the fact that she had bought the premises of the clinic where Michaels worked before he lost his license. The fact this clinic was on the adress he was travelling to right now. The fact that she had also bought the house next to her father's. The fact that she had had enough money to do so.

The fact she had been accused of murder two times, but had been released because there wasn't enough evidence to have her convicted.

Reston's voice had sounded worried and restless, a state in which he wasn't often caught in. At the end of the phonecall, after he had given the adress, he had urged Perry to hurry. Not in his gentle way, but very firmly and concerned.

Mason squeezed his hand around his cane. Flings of the conversation he had had with Reston went through his tired mind.

_Laura Robertson's former assistant … Jennifer Parker's real name is Jennifer Michaels … daughter … murder … bought real estate in her name … psychiatric care … as far as I'm concerned, they're both insane, Mason … find your Miss Street … and do it fast ... _

Jennifer Parker. She had seemed such a nice, young and innocent woman the first time Mason had met her as Laura's assistant. He thought about her genuine nervousness when he questioned her during the Robertson's trial. She had almost been too loyal to admit Laura had left the party at a suspicious time, so she could be the killer.

Perry wondered about a lot of things, such as had Laura known that Jennifer was Emmett's daughter before she hired her to be her assistant? Was there more to it than coincidence ? And what was Jennifer's exact role in Glenn Robertson's case ?

But most important of course, what had they done to his Della? Would she be in the old clinic ? Would she be all right ? And where was Jennifer Parker now ?

####

Though they seemed to belong to someone else, he was sure it were his own fingers that were trembling, touching the sheets beside him. They felt cold. But tomorrow, if she would be his, the sheets would be warm of her warmth, warm of her love for him, when she finally realised he was the only right man for her. He had a hard time rolling his eyes to the closet and focussing at the other end of the room. His wedding suit hung there, white as snow.

The reason they had decided to have Della's room and everything else around her white was because she remembered them of white. Her pureness, her beauty, her class, her lovely smile to him, even if it was only in the courtroom. It had made him so weak for her, so weak he knew then that one day he would make her his wife. He had been so thrilled to find out she wasn't married, although she was so obviously Mason's and had been for so long. The fact that she was free to take, had made him watch her silently for a year now, following her around, wherever she went. He was sure about her.

Oh, of course he had seen how this Perry Mason and Della Street had been around eachother when the case of Glenn Robertson had ended. How beautiful she had looked in her white coat, waiting for Mason outside on the stairs of the courthouse. He had seen how Mason had kissed her long and lingering at the bottom of the stairs before getting into their taxi. Because of that kiss, he had forgotten about her for a while, but then, after a few years, he thought about her being so suitable.

So, he knew she belonged to someone else, but he could and would make her his wife. The fact that she hadn't become Mason's wife yet after all these years, wasn't just encouraging. It was also a strong confirmation, an actual writing on the wall. She wasn't meant to be with Mason, she was meant to be with him. She fit his description of the perfect wife and mother, her height, her sizes, her weight, her beautiful smiling hazel eyes. Nearly as perfect as Laura Robertson.

But Laura Robertson had been married, when he had tried to make her his. He had tried to change her mind. He smirked. He had indeed literally tried to change her mind with shocktreatment, and everybody had let him do it, because he was the doctor. He had treated her depression that wasn't as severe as she thought, but he had told her it was and that it was better to stay in the clinic with him for a while. She had nearly given in. But she had been too strong, and had stuck to her marriage vows in the end.

And then Jennifer had thought of the plan to leak information about the depression of Laura, and to get her husband Glenn in deathrow for murdering Luke Dickinson. Brilliantly planned, even involving Laura in a way she would suffer from depression again afterwards. Yet the plan had failed because of this damned Mason's interference. But then, luckily and ironically, the same Mason had brought him Della Street. Beautiful, lovely Della Street. He whispered her name, again and again. He licked his lips. To say her name tasted so very good, so sweet. If just saying her name tasted that sweet, than how good would she taste herself? How sweet would that lips be if she'd be finally his? Tomorrow.

But why wait until tomorrow?

Why not taste her now?

Why not have her now?

Lifting his body up, the dizziness he always felt made him fall back on the sheets. Struggling to sit, his hands sought for the bottle of pills on the other side of the bed. He took five of them, and swallowed them with brandy. Strong, burning brandy.

His hands sought for the robe that had fallen on the floor earlier. He put it on and took a deep breath before trying to get on his feet. To be able to stand up from the bed, he had to lean against the wall and steady himself. He grinned. The pills would be working by the time he'd be in her room. Laughing nervously and cursing about his stumbling and falling, he promised himself to have just a brief taste of her, just her lips, and maybe some of her neck. The thought of him tasting her skin made him stand up straight. He moaned in anticipation. A woman like Della Street could satisfy his needs in so many ways.

Yes, just her lips and her neck. He'd savor the rest of her for his hunger tomorrow night.

The door to her room opened at once, because he had kept his promise. Earlier he and Jennifer had unlocked all doors so she could walk out any minute. The fact that she hadn't done that yet, was also a sign that she cared for him enough to stay around. This was all about confirmation, repetitive confirmation. Even her strong, stubborn character wouldn't stand the constant repetition of his statements, if performed long enough. He would change Della Street's mind. If he had to, the hard way. But after he married her. They had to get married before she was found.

His breathing stopped when she wasn't in the bed, where he had expected her to be. He gasped at the sight of the three wedding dresses on the floor. He panted going into her bathroom and walk-in closet to search for her, reaching out his hands, feeling the fabric of the clothes hanging in there, to feel if she was hiding in them. Clinging to them, touching the heels, moving infuriated, faster and faster, throwing everything out of the closet like the madman he was.

_No._

_No._

_No._

Hysterically breathing, shaking hands, eyes wide open. Yet, very, very slowly the truth of her having left, dawned to him. And then very slowly, a deep sound formed in the pit of his stomach, struggling to get out, up his throat, until he couldn't stop himself and screamed.

" No! "

Again. Again and again.

She was gone.

He swung from one side to the other, held onto a chair, the table, to the bed and stumbled to the window, and screamed again, when he recognized the man he saw walking there on the lawn. The only man that shouldn't be here now. The one he had hoped never to see again.

" No! "

Outside, on the lawn, the big dark form of Perry Mason stood still. He looked around, and walked slowly to the frontdoors of the building.

Emmett Michaels ran, to stop Mason. Stop Mason. Kill Mason. Stop Mason. Not Mason again. Kill him. _If someone is in your way, kill him._

On his way out to the lawn, he felt the pistol in the pocket of his robe. He ran, the adrenaline that was pumping through his veins made him run straight without stumbling, throughout the hallway, into the hall towards the frontdoors. He yanked them open, and abruptly stood still, ten feet away from the man that had changed the course of his life on more than one occassion.

" Mason! "

The dark form just watched him.

" Mason! " it sounded like a shriek. Even in the dim light of the few lamps that lit the premises, Mason was able to see the hollow eyes of the insane man in front of him. And even while they were ten feet apart, he could smell the alcohol, the sweat.

" Where is she, Michaels? " Mason's dark voice boomed through the night.

" What? " It sounded like a shriek again.

" Where is she? "

" Where is my bride, Mason? "

" I really don't know about your bride, Michaels…. but where the hell is Della Street? What have you done to her? " Perry growled.

Emmett Michaels didn't react to the questions, but ran past him to see where Mason could possibly be hiding Della. He noticed there was a taxi standing at the end of the driveway.

" I'm sure you already have her with you…"

" What?

" She's probably in the taxi over there, and you came here to kill me. But I will shoot myself, you know that…"

" So, shoot yourself… Mason turned his attention to the building again. " But first tell me where she is … "

" I'm not kidding, Mason …"

" Neither am I, Emmett. Where the hell is she? " Mason's loud voice echoed into the night.

Perry watched the insane man run further towards the taxi, and open the door at the drivers side to pull out the terrified driver. He fell on the floor and protected his face against the kicking and hitting of the mad man.

" Where is she? What have you done to her? Where is she hiding? Where did you hide her? "

Then he suddenly stopped and grabbed the driver at his collar. " Open the trunk … " he mumbled.

" But … ? "

" Open the trunk …! "

" Do what he tells you! " Mason yelled at the driver from the other side of the lawn.

The shaking hands of the terrified driver didn't help him, while trying to open the trunk. His keys missed the keyhole a couple of times before he was finally able to unlock it. He felt that someting that could be a gun, was placed at the back of his head. " Hurry up … "

" There you go, sir. " The lid opened and the trunk was empty. Michaels' expression went from utterly curious to smiling with one blink of his eyes. He started laughing, in a sick, hysterical way. " She's not here … "

" No, she is not … " the driver confirmed softly.

" Shut up! " Michaels said it firmly, but immediately started laughing again, before shouting towards the other side of the lawn. " Mason! You really don't have her, do you? "

He ran towards Perry very fast and stopped abruptly again, just a few feet away from him. Close enough for the big lawyer to see the insanity in Michaels' very fast blinking hollow eyes, to see the shaking hands and the sudden tilting of his head, first to the left and then to the right again.

" What are you doing? " Mason growled and watched the small shiny pistol, while Michaels very slowly pointed it at his own temple. His smile was wide and evil.

" If I kill myself, you'll never find her, will you? " he laughed. " You'll never find Della Street …" His loud devillish laughter sent shivers through Mason's body. Michaels held the pistol to his head while his hand shook badly. It didn't even occur to Perry for one second to talk Emmett out of his plan to commit suicide. Emmett, the bloody fool. The dry clattering sound of the pistol told Mason noone could be killed by it. It was empty.

What really worried him, was the fact that Michaels didn't know where Della was. That could either be good news or very bad news.

" I will kill myself…! Mason! "

" Shut up, Michaels. I will find her, even if it's the last thing I do. " He turned around, to walk to the big building, that fit the description Reston had given him earlier. Big, white, one floored, with a squared center, and long wings on either side, with big windows and high ceilings.

" I'm doing it now … ! "

" Sure, Emmett …" Mason mumbled. The dry click he heard behind him, made him turn around to watch the insane man again. He watched Michaels' shocked face with disgust. His eyes were wide open and his hands were shaking even more while he watched his small pistol in disbelief. " It's not loaded … " He whispered.

" You bloody idiot. " Mason gave him a cold and darkened stare. His jaws tightened. " You can't even kill yourself. "

He left the man crying on the floor, dwelling in his grief. " It's not loaded … "

The big doors to the building were still open, and Perry limped through them, holding his cane in his hand as a weapon to hit anyone who would come near him. He tried the phone he found at what used to be a reception's desk. The line was dead.

The entrance to the wing on his left side was dark and closed up by a high fence. The wing on his right side was open and slightly illuminated. He decided to go there first. Again, not bothering to be silent, he threw the first few doors that joined the hallway open.

The fourth door on the left, gave entrance to a big room without windows. Mason sought for a lightswitch and found it, while putting one hand against his mouth and nose. The smell in the room was revolting.

In the middle of the room was a bed, on one side covered with needles and syringes, small bottles with a clear liquid in it and a bottle with pills. Empty bottles of brandy were thrown all over the floor. There was a big closet at the right wall. On it hung a white suit, with white shoes underneath it.

Mason's eyes adjusted to the light, and he gasped while looking at the walls. He steadied his posture against a chair in front of him. " My dear God…"

On the four different walls were pictures and newspaper articles about four different women. He didn't know two of them. The third, he knew just a little if at all, being Laura Robertson, and the fourth woman he had known very well and loved deeply forever.

He watched the wall with her pictures. His hands sueezed into fists. Della with him, her arm in his, leaving the courthouse in Nevada, Los Angeles and in Denver. Pictures of them leaving a restaurant, Della alone doing groceries, Della in her nightgown in front of their bedroomwindow, Della on her way to the office, Della in her car, in her rosegarden, in a restaurant with her friends, on a dancefloor with him holding her close. Copies of old newspaperarticles about their alledged relationsip in the fifties and sixties, copies of articles about her trial, and her acquittal.

In front of this wall there was a small altar with candles, pictures and some notes and poems written about her. There was a calendar, with today's date encircled in red. He realised that no matter what that meant, he had to find her. Quickly. Before this day dawned.

He glanced at the other wall, next to Della's. One particular article on that wall struck him. It was about a woman being reported missing two weeks ago.

The next wall was about what he reckoned was Emmett Michaels' wife, Jennifer's mother, Elizabeth Parker. Mason knew that Emmett Michaels had been married once, but he didn't know his wife had died, he thought they had divorced. But according to the articles, she was murdered ten years ago.

Then something he read struck him hard.

" Lord … " His hands sought behind him for the chair he knew was there somewhere. The pain in his knee stung him, while he sat down and put his head in his hands, forcing himself to breath deeply. His hands both leaning on his cane.

Elizabeth Parker was killed, and run over by a car a couple of times. She was found decapitated a few weeks after she was reported missing.

Like the body Brock had found and had asked him to identify almost two days ago.

Briskly Mason stood up from his chair and walked out of the sickening room to continue his searching.

He yelled throughout the hallway. " Della! " The first few rooms he threw open were empty, but then he opened one that made him stop breathing for a second.

" Della ! " Her scent was there. He limped to the big white bed, stumbling over a big pile of white fabric. It made him fall on the bed sidewards. He took in the scent of the sheets and the pillows. Della. Definetely.

He found a small switch next to the bed and switched on the light. The room was completely white.

Perry stood up and walked slowly to the adjoining walk-in closet. He gasped at the sight of all the clothing and shoes he saw, and recognized as possible purchases of Della. " So this is where my money went, Michaels … " he growled softly.

Then he grasped a beautiful red dress that would have suited her so very well, and swallowed hard. " Della, my baby… where the hell are you? "

His despair was quickly replaced when a strong feeling overcame him. He sensed she was closer to him than she had been in the last couple of days.

And she was.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The exact distance between Della Street and Perry Mason at that moment was three miles. Yet the distance was increasing again.

####

The exact location of the entrance to the tunnel was a suprise to her, as well as the tunnel itself. And the woman that accompanied her, surprised her even more.

Glad she saw a familiair face, she had taken Amy's hand and followed her without hesitation into the walk-in closet. In the back of her mind, she had kept thinking about the fact that she could and would have walked out of here herself, hadn't she felt so responsible for the obvious insane dr. Michaels and his equally insane actions.

She had decided to push this thought away until she'd find herself a better time and place to think about it. Now she was following the lead of Amy Hastings, someone she would have never thought to follow like this. But now she did, willingly.

Amy hadn't given her much time to think, before dragging her out of the bed, and pulling her to the walk-in closet. She had only asked briefly if Della was fine enough to walk, and when she had said she was, Amy had pulled up the carpet of the walk-in closet and had urged her to squeeze herself through the opening to go down, into the dark tunnel.

" How did you know about this? " Della had asked, and it had only been one of the thousand questions in her mind. How did you get here ? Where is Perry? How is Perry? Where is Ken? How is Ken? Is the police already here? Where is Emmett Michaels? Where is this daughter of his? Where are we anyway? Where are we going?

But Amy hadn't answered. " Let's get out of here, before we meet someone down here we don't want to meet. " Amy had pulled at Della's arm when she had stopped for a second. " I will answer your questions as soon as I know you're safe … Well, as soon as I know we're safe. "

The tunnel was long and dark, and obviously old, but very well preserved. It had tiles all along the walls and floor, it was clean and small, but not narrow. Amy wore a flashlight, but used it only every once in a while. She just walked, very fast, pulling Della along, as if they were in a hurry. She sometimes motioned Della into a niche in the wall, to check her watch, or to listen very carefully because she thought she had heard footsteps behind them or in front of them.

" How long do we have to walk ? " Della dared to whisper at one of these moments she considered a brief pause.

" Ssshhh … " Amy was worried. When she was certain there was no one there in the tunnel with them, she started to speak again. " It's about five miles in total, I think we've covered most of it, we should be there in about ten or fifteen minutes now.

" Where are we going ? " Della whispered.

" To safety … Home. "

Della had no problems with that answer. Anything was better than the insane, scary world she had been in, for how long? Not even three days? Yet the effects of Emmett Michaels' constant games were still present. She still felt the fear, the trembling, the anxiety, the adrenaline going through her veins, anger. The frustration about knowing she could walk out any minute, but the inability to do so. Her weakest spot, he had reached so easily.

After a long and neverending fifteen minutes, Amy told her they reached their goal. She pushed a small button in the niche of the wall and pulled a small ladder down, out of the ceiling. Della intended to climb it immediately, but Amy motioned her to wait. " I'm going up first to open the cover and see if there is anyone around. You go up behind me, okay ? "

Della just nodded.

When Amy had gone up to look around, it was obviously safe to go out. She pulled Della out of the dark tunnel, and helped her steady. They seemed to be in a living room. The noise coming from outside, from an ambulance driving off and people talking, made her think they were probably in a town, or a busy street.

Della's eyes were still adjusting to the somewhat lit room they were in, when she saw Amy's eyes widen and her mouth drop, before she spoke. " My, my. Now that is a surprise … You're still here. "

" Yes, well, and ladies, what are you doing here? Though it's nice to see you of course. "

Della immediately recognized the voice that came out of the dark behind her. It didn't frighten her, but made her very, very angry. All pent up frustration from the last days were surfacing and she had to be careful not to turn it completely against him. Yet the temptation to do so was enormous, because he was the reason she was here in the first place.

" You! "

" Della, I … "

" What are you doing here? Where are we? What is going on? "

Amy just tilted her head, and said quite nonchalantly. " So, I guess you have some explaining to do, Mr. Robertson ? "

Della stood face to face with Glenn Robertson, when she pointed her index finger to his chest. " What are you doing here, Glenn ? What is your part in all this ? And where are we ? "

Amy put her hands on Della's upperarms to calm her down. " Take it easy, Della. He's not worth it…"

" You're damn right he isn't. But I'm worth an explanation, and I want one. Now! "

" Well, Della… I … It's hard to explain really, but I'll try. I uhm … , I made a deal. " Glenn sat down and watched Della with fearing eyes. " Amy ? I know I have no right to ask you this, but I … could you help me out here ?"

" What? No. It's your deal … "

" But … "

" It's your deal, Glenn. And you shoud tell the woman you helped obducting. I think she has the right to know… "

" Well? I'm waiting … " Della pursed her lips. The absurdness of last days events was dawning to her. And Glenn had indeed thrown her into dr. Michaels' arms, and for what? She needed an explanation, she needed reasons.

" I … I thought … I could ... You see, I wanted to divorce Laura after my trial, when it became clear she had betrayed me. And then she got acquitted from murdering Luke Dickinson. So ... "

" So, what has this got to do with us, with me ? "

Glenn took a deep breath. " I thought if I could get you away from Mason, Laura might be running to him and I could persuade her to divorce me. "

Della snorted. " I really don't believe a word you're saying, Glenn. You've probably watched too many movies. " Della stood in front of him, her arms crossed, fierce eyes watching him angrily. " That is just too simple, even for you. "

Amy laughed out loud. " I told you she is smart. Better tell her the truth, Glenn. "

" I can't …" Glenn sighed.

Della turned away from him. Fatigue washed over her, she suddenly felt too tired to argue about anything at all. Nothing of this made sense. " I really don't get it anymore, Amy. I just want to go home. I want to be with Perry. I want to sleep. Can you please take me home? " Amy nodded, said nothing, but walked away from Glenn and Della towards the frontwindow of the house.

" Amy ? "

She took the curtain and pulled it open, so Della could have a clear view through the window. " Home might be closer than you think, Della … Take a look outside. "

####

The sight of this crime, if it was a crime at all, wasn't new to Lieutenant Brock. Drake had shot the woman through her knee, because she had threatened to kill him. It was as simple as that. She had screamed from excruciating pain, until an ambulance bother had given her a strong painkiller. It had made her groggy, so when Brock had asked her a question, she'd just giggled, not able to answer, not even aware of her own name anymore.

As the ambulance drove off, Brock turned his attention to Drake and Malansky. Ken was still walking back and forth, obviously anxious and worried. Drake, still shocked, sat on a small bench in front of the house and accepted a cigarette that was offered to him by one of Brock's sergeants. He was silent, smoking, in deep thought, and only brought up his eyes when Brock started to speak.

" I phoned the deputy in charge here, because I don't have any jurisdiction in this part of Colorado. Things should be fine, but I really want to do it by the book if you don't mind, guys. "

" Meaning ? " Ken asked him.

" They are sending a car here to take Drake in for questioning. "

" Yeah, sure, but we're still looking for Della Street here, Brock. " Ken started at an angry tone. " And as it is now, we also don't know where the hell Perry Mason is. "

" Mason, hmm. Oh, speaking about him, fellas, I had this letter delivered to us a couple of hours ago, by the guys who check the Masons' mail every day. I haven't had the time to read it myself yet, but it could contain something important. "

Drake stood up and grasped the letter out of Brock's hands. He scanned it quickly. " Same type of letter they received a couple of times. Though it's in Della's handwriting now. " He started reading and laughed when he was halfway through the letter. " This is as fake as … as … I don't really know. They must have dictated it to her. " He threw the letter in Malansky's hands, and took a firm drag of his cigarette. " Real, real fake, Ken. Check it out yourself. "

" Where are her rings? " Ken gave the letter to Brock when he finished reading it." The letter says the envelope contains her rings, where are they? "

" I don't know, cous'lor. And as I said, I haven't read it yet. " Brock's attention was drawn by one of his sergeants. " Wait here for me, I help you find Mason and his Miss Street. "

" Any idea where Perry went? " Paul asked Ken, while Brock walked away.

" No, not at all … " Ken scratched the back of his neck in his typical way, and looked around. " And the taxi is gone. I think I'm going to phone the company the cabdriver works for, and ask them if they know where he is. He must have a carphone or somethin'. "

" Heard anything from uh, what's her name? " Drake queried.

" Amy. " Ken sighed. " No, no sign of her. "

A sudden movement at the house next to Michaels' house caught his attention. He saw it again, and narrowed his eyes. " Amy? " He froze. " Amy? " Then he started running.

" Ken? What the hell? " Drake turned to see where Ken was heading, dropped his cigarette and started running too.

" Della ! "

Both men hit and kicked the frontdoor as if the house was on fire. They screamed. Suddenly, very quietly the door opened, and Glenn Robertson stood in the doorway. Ken rushed in.

" Glenn Robertson, what the hell … " Drake shook his head, and pushed him aside to get into the hallway of the house.

" Ken? Paul ? " Della's choking voice came to Paul even before he saw her and he pulled her up in his arms, to hold her. " Della, my God, Della, you're safe, you're here. " Della sobbed against his shoulder. " Oh, Paul. "

Though Drake had his eyes closed momentarily, he grabbed Glenn Robertson's arm firmly, when he tried to walk past him and escape through the back of the house. Ken blocked the entrance to the livingroom. " We have some questions for you, pal. You better stick around. "

Glenn roughly tore himself away from Drake's grip, but the detective grabbed his wrist and turned his arm, twisting it, making Glenn kneel onto the floor and scream of pain.

" Get up! " Paul yelled at the man on the floor. " Get up, you ! "

His right arm squeezed Della to him, while his other arm still held Glenn, who wasn't making any attempt to escape anymore, but moaned in pain. " My shoulder … he dislocated my shoulder …"

" Brock! Hey Brock! " Drake shouted at the lieutenant.

" Yeah, I guess I know who this is, Drake. I think it's a very good idea if he takes your place in the police car that's coming now. Mr. Robertson, I'll make sure you'll have a nice ride to the station. "

" I insist you take me to the hospital first! " he shouted at Brock. " I have a dislocated shoulder. It hurts ..."

" Oh, what the hell. Take him to the hospital first, but don't let him out of your sight. We have to take Miss Street there also anyway … " Brock first addressed to the sergeants, who were taking care of Glenn Robertson, and then he turned his attention to Della and Paul Drake.

" And you take very good care of the lady you have there, Drake, be gentle with her, but take her to the hospital as well. I'll make sure she can't run into this Roberttson guy, okay? " He smiled softly. " Nice to see you by the way, Miss Street. Nice to see you. "

Della smiled her small smile to him, before turning to Paul. " Where is Perry, Paul? "

" We don't know, Della. But we'll find him. Ken has a very accurate idea what … Ken? Where is he? "

Ken stood frozen to the spot, while Amy as much as posed in the doorway of the house and watched him triomfantically. " You see. I found her. "

He finally caught his breath again. " Yeah, and I found you. " Ken shrugged and walked towards her to hug her, and she hesitantly put her arms around him.

" How did you get here, Amy? " he whispered to her hair.

" I phoned some people, I read some files, I did some thinking … "

" And? "

" And? I drove up here, and found a tunnel, and … "

" A tunnel ? "

" Yes, and I found Glenn Robertson. "

" But how did you know where Della was? Was she here in this house all the time? "

" No, silly. At the other end of the tunnel. And … "

" But how did you know where she was? "

" I told you, I saw Glenn Robertson … "

" Yeah, but how did you know? "

" It was easy. I seduced him…"

" You what? "

" I seduced him…"

" Seduced who? "

" Glenn Robertson, Ken. " She rolled her eyes.

" What? " Ken sighed. This wasn't making sense at all. " We got a lot to talk about, Amy. But we'll do that later, first we have to find Perry, and take Della to a doctor. "

" Is Perry not here? I talked to Perry a couple of hours ago, you know ? "

" You did? " Ken watched Amy in disbelief.

" Yeah, he answered your carphone when I called it to tell you I was okay. " She pushed herself to him to kiss him, but he pulled her back.

" And he answered my carphone? "

" Yeah. What? " Ken let go of Amy.

" Well, if he answered it, he might have used it to make a phonecall as well. Let's see. Maybe we can find out where he went. "

Ken walked towards his car, and reached for his carphone. He pushed the buttons to redial the last number that was phoned, and held the receiver to his ear.

He almost dropped the receiver when he heard the low, sleepy, but familiair voice on the other end of the line.

" Michael Reston … who is this ? "

####

The last room of this wing of the clinic was empty too. Apart from the room where Della had been in, there was nothing that implied she was here, or had been here. Mason checked his pocketwatch. It was four a.m. He put his head against a wall, and shortly allowed himself to feel his tiredness, then ignored it firmly.

" Della … " His two large hands pushed against the wall as if he could move it forward and release her by doing so. " Baby … "

A sudden sound caught his attention. He turned around and cursed. His knee screamed at him again and felt swollen. He grabbed his cane, holding it up to hit whoever or whatever it was that made the sound.

" Mr. Mason! " And Mr. Mason sighed.

It was his taxidriver.

" Man, you scared the living daylights out of me... " He growled to the driver. " I told you to stay put. "

" But there is a phonecall for you, Mr. Mason. "

" What? "

" A phonecall, in my car. For you."

" You have a phone in your car? And you didn't tell me? "

" Well, sir, you didn't ask … "

" Oh, you … " Mason swore again, and limped out of the building as fast as he could.

" Who is it? " he growled.

" It's a man, sir. Ken something. "

" Ken Malansky. Thank God. I sure hope he's found something. "

When they passed Emmett Michaels, who was still on the lawn and cried like a little baby, Mason stopped hesitantly. " I should let you lie there and let the wolves take care of you, Michaels. " His dark voice didn't draw Michaels' attention. " But since I'm closer to human then you are, I'll take care of you. Idiot. "

Emmett rolled on his back and looked up into the sky.

" You get the car here, please. " Mason ordered his driver.

" Yes, sir. "

Perry walked slowly towards the insane man, whose eyes were turned up. His body was trembling. " I'm cold. " he said matter of factly.

" Of course you're cold. You're on the lawn, in your pajama's, and it's in the middle of the night. " Mason hesitated again. Sighing deeply, he took off his topcoat and draped it over Emmett. The psychiatrist looked into his eyes with surprise. The big hollow stare made Mason feel nauseous. " Why Emmett? Why Della? And where is she? " he whispered, as he heard the taxi driving towards him slowly.

" Della Street, Perry Mason, is the most beautiful woman in the world… " Emmett whispered.

" I know … "

" … and she deserves the best … "

" I know … "

" … and ... "

" And? " Mason moved a little closer to the doctor, who sat up and leaned towards the big man.

" … she's mine… ! " He yelled, laughed out loud, and spat on Mason's shoes. The high squeaky laughter sounded sharp through the night.

Perry groaned softly. " I could have known. You're indeed too insane to talk to." He held Emmett down with his cane, leaning it slightly on the doctor's chin, and took the phone from the cabdriver. " Mason. "

Ken's voice sounded far away but clearly through the phone." We got her, Perry … she seems to be fine … "

_' … she seems to be fine … ' _A lump formed in his throat. All the time he had known and strongly believed that they would find her, and that she would be fine, but now that they really had, he could admit to himself he had been worried sick. He felt his knees buckle, and heard a soft whimper coming from the lawn when he steadied his broad body with his cane on the unfortunate doctor, and against the taxi. He breathed deeply and straightened his back.

" Perry … you there? " Ken yelled at him through the phone.

" Yes, Ken, I am still here."

" They're taking her to General Hospital here for a checkup. I'm going with her, with Paul and Amy, all right ? "

" Tell the address to my driver, Ken. And don't let her out of your sight, do you hear me, you and Paul, not for one minute. I'll be there as soon as possible. "

He gave the phone to his driver. His free hand grabbed his forehead, and he let out a sigh that resembled a sob. The two tears that fell on the lawn silently and unnoticed, proved it was.

She was fine.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Mason had disappeared into the hospital immediately at the moment they had arrived, so his driver asked the doorman to help him to take care of the insane psychiatrist, who couldn't walk or move in any way. Earlier, Emmett Michaels had collapsed completely, when Mason had ordered him to climb into the taxi. Now his sobs were those of a little child, that had just lost his favourite toy. And in a way he had.

" Are you all right, Paul? Ken? Amy ? " But Mason missed that they all nodded as his eyes frantically searched the waiting area. " Where is she? "

" In here, waiting for the doctor. Brock's with her now…" Paul pointed into the room next to him. He stood next to the doorframe, like a guard. He suppressed a yawn, and was as pale as the white wall he leaned against. " We haven't let her out of our sight … "

At that moment, lieutenant Brock stepped out of the room, leaving the door ajar, which enabled Mason to have a glimpse of two long slender legs that could belong to only one woman.

In long, old fashioned strides of his now apparently painless legs, Mason reached the door, and shook hands firmly with lieutenant Brock. " I'm very glad they found her, Mason. "

" Me too, Ed, me too …"

Perry put his hand on Drake's shoulder. " Thanks … " The look in Mason's face made the younger man swallow hard. " Anytime, Perry, anytime. "

" Hold this for me, will you? " Handing his cane over to Drake, Mason looked into the room in front of him and forgot about the rest of the world.

He swallowed when he saw her sitting on a big chair by the window, in deep thought. Her legs stretched out in front of her, her chin on her hand, her hair a curly mess. She wore the same clothes she had been wearing last Friday, years ago.

" Della? " but his choking voice was too soft to reach her.

She was here.

She was safe.

She was fine.

" Baby? " He sighed as she turned to him and stood up immediately.

" Perry … " she hurried towards him, and reached out. He opened his arms, softly enveloped her to his broad body, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck as far as she could. Though her slender figure seemed even more slender against his broadness, it was Perry Mason who disappeared in her embrace completely.

Three days had felt like three years.

" You're here.…" his voice against her neck was soft and low.

" I am, honey … " she cried quietly " I'm here … "

" You're really here… " The tears on her cheeks were caressed away by the back of his hands. He kissed her forehead and took her face in both hands. Her big brown eyes looked tired, but smiled warmly to him. " How do you feel? How are you ? Are you okay ? "

She sniffed. " I am, I guess ... but it was scary. I was so afraid. "

" What has he done to you? Has he hurt you? In any way? " he tightened his jaws at the thought of it.

" I don't know really. He played sick games with me, he manipulated me, scared the living daylights out of me, but I don't feel hurt or bad. Not physically anyway. I guess that just wasn't his intention. " She clung to him. " Oh Perry, I'm so glad I'm here. With you. "

" I was so worried … " he stroked her hair and cupped her face with both hands again. " I missed you … my Della ... " he kissed her lips gently, and pulled her into his tight embrace.

" I missed you too … " she wrapped her arms around his neck again and moaned softly. " Hold me close … "

" Forever … "

When they finally let go, she watched him thoroughly, and noticed his fatigue, his worn out face, his tired eyes, the frowning brows. " And how are you? How is your knee? "

" Never better. "

She snorted. " Of course…" then she dove into his embrace again, dwelling in his arms around her. She caressed his hair, his face, his neck. He held her face, kissed her hair, her cheek, her neck, her ear, her forehead, her cheek again and then he found her lips to pull her into a passionate kiss that lingered and lingered and felt too good to stop. So they took a deep breath, closed their eyes again, and continued.

Drake looked at them from over his shoulder and feigned boredom. " Oh, jeeezzz, you guys, get a room … "

" We did … and you're in it … so get lost …" Mason hit the door to close it to Drake's face. The loud laughter coming from the other side of the door, made them both laugh too.

Della swung and steadied herself against him, her eyes closed, she leaned her head to his chest.

" Are you okay? " He moved his arm tightly around her waist, and motioned her over to the small couch. " Sit down. "

She sighed. " I'm so tired. I haven't slept very much, just like you, I suppose. " They sat down next to eachother, and she turned to him to look into his eyes again. " I want to go home, Perry, I want to take a shower, I want to sleep. I want to be in my own bed, with your arms around me. "

" We shouldn't be long, baby. We'll leave as soon as the doctor says you're all right. I'm definetely going to take you home." He took her hands to kiss her fingers. " Your rings … where are your rings? "

" Well, Emmett told me to take them off, and they said they'd send them to you, so, uhm … you could give them to the lady that was in our house for a short while ? " She pursed her lips.

" The lady that was in our house … ? " It took Mason about five seconds to realise who she was talking about. He snorted. " Oh, yeah, well, about Laura Robertson … "

" Mmm-mmm. "

" I don't think she'll cause us any more trouble. "

" You chased her away ? " her amusement was evident, when she chukled softly.

" Kind of. Let's say, I wasn't very nice to her. And she sure is not wearing your rings. " Pressing her fingers to his forehead, he sighed wearily, feigning annoyance. " I guess I'll just have to buy you new ones. " He raised his brows at her. " How inconvenient … "

" Very inconvenient … " her hands circled his neck again to pull his face to hers for a lingering kiss.

He moaned extensively from very deep within when his lips touched hers again, pulling her to him to hold her again, and deepening the kiss. Secretly cursing his arousel, he had trouble to stop his hands from travelling where they wanted to go all by themselves. Her tickling fingers underneath his collar were distracting, making it even more difficult to think clearly.

The sound of the opening door annoyed him nevertheless.

" I told you to get lost…" he grunted without opening his eyes.

At the sound of a soft female chuckle he looked up to see a nurse smiling at them. " Excuse me, I'm very sorry, but the doctor is ready to examine Miss Street. Would you just follow me, please, Miss? "

" No, she won't. " Perry didn't let go of his treasure. He held Della tight to him, and moaned softly.

" Perry…" Della laughed at him, putting her hands on his chest. The nurse couldn't suppress a smile.

" Please, Mr. Mason, really, we'll return her safely back into your arms afterwards … "

" No. She's not going anywhere without me. " His pout was nearly perfect.

" Oh, Perry…"

" No, the last time I let you out of my sight, I lost you…"

" Well, you can join us, if that's what you want, Mr. Mason. I just need some bloodsamples, and the doctor needs to do some physical examination. "

" Sure... " then he whispered to Della's ear " I had planned to do the physical part myself." He buried his face in her neck again, which made her laugh out loud.

" Behave. " Her index finger on his lips made him swallow whatever it was he was going to say next.

" Well, I am coming with you. No matter what you say. " He stood up, pulling her up with him.

" Whatever you want, Perry. " She shook her head, but put her hand in the crook of his arm, to follow the nurse together with him.

" Perry Mason! " As they walked out of the room they had been waiting in, a shrieking voice startled them, and they both turned to face the man that had held her captive for the last three days.

" Emmett … " Her hand sought Perry's, found it and squeezed it.

" I'm so sorry, Della … " Emmett Michaels' shaking hands moved towards her to touch hers. " I'm so very sorry … "

" So you should be … "

" I didn't know what I was doing, I swear … " His eyes were normal again, his regrets seemed to be genuine. His head still tilted uncontrollably from one side to the other.

" Emmett … " Mason's low voice held no accussation, just pity.

" I'm sorry, Mason … "

" Get better, Emmett, heal yourself. You of all people should know how to … " Perry said as two men pulled the psychiatrist away from them, and dragged him out of their sight through two swing doors.

" God, just the sight of him … " Della shook against Mason's chest, she felt shivers going down her spine. " Though he looked better, but still … "

He stroked her back lightly. " Am I glad they found you before he did something real bad to you. I really think he could have done it. " He rest his head on hers for a while, just so she could get herself together again.

But then she felt him tensing throughout his whole body.

" You … " His tone of voice had changed from the loving, soothing, soft voice into a hard, loud and angry courtroomboomer.

When she looked up into his face, she saw his fierce eyes gazing coldly to something or someone behind her. She turned in Perry's embrace, and he let her go, to take one step forward.

Glenn Robertson was leaving the doctor's office. A sergeant took his arm to lead him outside, but he tore himself loose and walked towards them. " Della … I'm so glad you're all right, Della … "

" My ... Glenn … " Della took a step back, when he tried to grab her upperarms.

" Perry Mason, I … uhm … all's well that ends well, I suppose? " Perry Mason watched the hand of a nervously smiling Glenn Robertson, who was obviously waiting and actually expecting him to shake it.

Perry groaned.

" Perry, no … " Della recognized this look on his face. His eyes darkening, his jaws tightening. " Perry …"

He grabbed Glenn's wrist in his left hand, and held it while his right hand hit Glenn on his jaw " … this is for taking her away from me…" , and then the next punch hit him on his nose. " … and this is for bringing her to this damned doctor Emmett Michaels …"

Robertson fell to the floor and brought his hands to his face. " He broke my nose … he broke my nose ..."

" Damn… " Perry rubbed his hand with a painfilled grimace. He heard a chuckle at his right side. " Oh, dear. My knight in shining armor, hmmm? Let me see it. Does it hurt? " Her low playful voice reached his groin, even before it reached his ears. It made him pull her close to him.

" Yes, it does hurt. Everywhere. All over. Excruciating pain. And very much. It's unbearable. It needs immediate care, you know, a very special treatment, the sort only you can provide ... right now. "

" Oh, sure …" she kissed his hand. " Like this ? "

" Not really, but it is as close as we can get now, in public, I suppose. "

" Oh, you " she slapped his chest, and smiled. " … I feel so safe with you around. "

" So you should. And you should stick around. I intend to hit everyone that comes near you from now on, either with my bare hands or my cane. " With that, he took his cane from Paul, as if to underline his statement.

He laughed with her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, determined to never let her out of his sight again. Following the nurse to the doctor, they overheard a conversation which made Della frown, but humoured Perry so much he shook with laughter.

" Lieutenant Brock, did you see Perry Mason hit my husband? " Suddenly the voice of Laura Robertson shouted through the waiting area. She had apparently been hiding from prying eyes before.

" Noooo, I actually didn't, Mrs. Robertson…" Brock's typical voice was soft but clear.

" He broke my nose…" Glenn's voice rose an octave of surprise and anger.

" I'm quite positive I saw you walking against a door there, Mr. Robertson. "

" You what? "

" You just walked against a door, didn't you? "

" No, Mason hit me, and I … "

" You know, seriously, Mr. Robertson, I guess everybody here saw you walking against that door … " Brock slowly turned around and pointed at a random door. " Let me put it this way, I don't think I can actually find a witness that saw Mr. Mason hitting you. "

As the Robertson's started to frantically argue with Ed Brock, and followed him through the swing doors to the hallway of the hospital, muffled laughter oozed through the waiting area.

Paul whistled a tune, and started to think what song it was from. Then he remembered and laughed out loud. He sang " _God help you please, Mrs. Robertson, Jesus loves you more than you will know, wowowow…_ "

" It is actually _Mrs. Robinson_ they're singing, you know, Paul. " Amy pointed out. She stood next to him, pulling Ken's arm to make him stand beside her.

" Yeah, I know Amy, but … " Paul watched her from aside, and decided to not explain his joke to her, she wouldn't get it anyway.

" I'm worried … " he adressed to Ken.

" Yeah." Ken nodded, and turned his eyes from the door where Della and Perry had just went through, to Drake. " Me too … "

" Why are you worried? " Amy queried. " Everything is all right now, isn't it? "

" Yes, you'd say so, hmmm? But Jennifer Parker has never arrived at the hospital. "

" Ow. Wowowow … that's bad news. " Amy whispered.

" Yeah. " Paul's face reflected his concern. " … wowowow all right … "


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

" Is she asleep? "

" Yes. She almost fell asleep in the shower. I could barely catch her and put her in bed. " Mason sank down on a chair, sighing very deeply. Even his hands looked tired, while they rubbed his face." I am quite exhausted too. "

" Brock's going to be here any minute, we go over whatever he wants, and then we can all get some sleep. " Drake sighed. " I'll sleep on the couch, if that's okay with you. "

" We have three sergeants around the house, and Paul is sleeping here. Will you be staying anyway? " Perry addressed Ken. " I mean, you don't have to. "

" I know, Perry. But Amy is already asleep, and I just don't want to leave here knowing Jennifer Parker is still out there somewhere. She is insane. We don't know what she is capable of. "

" I second that, Perry. I mean, she can't have come very far with that knee, but … " Drake shook his head, and sighed deeply again.

" Yeah, until we find out where she is, I better stay here too. " Ken added.

" I appreciate that. " Mason put a large hand on Malansky's shoulder. " I really do. Thank you. " He limped towards the kitchen. " Coffee anyone? " he yawned extensively, and shook his head over his own tiredness.

Adrenaline subsiding now, the tiredness washed over all occupants of the room. Amy had already fallen asleep on the couch earlier, before Ken had picked her up to carry her to one of the spare bedrooms.

Ed Brock's arrival was a welcome wake-up call. Though he also looked very tired, his smiling attitude gave them enough energy for the moment to joke and shake hands.

" Well Mason, how is your Miss? " Brock held out his hand for Mason to shake it. When the big man didn't take his hand, Brock gave him a quizzical look.

Perry's grin was dimple deep. " I'm sorry, Ed. I can't seem to ehm … shake hands ... Well, not with my right hand anyway. " He playfully cleared his throat.

" Ah. Yes. I forgot. You also hit a door this morning, right? " Brock's huge grin reached his ears easily, while he scratched his neck. " Well, don't mind 'bout the door, Mason. It'll be fine. It won't press charges, I'm quite sure. "

Perry chuckled before starting to talk, but Brock cut him off by raising his hand. " So, now let's get back to business, gentlemen. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can all get some sleep. I really want to head home after this. My own Mrs. might not even know what I look like anymore. " He grinned, sat down and thumbed through his little notebook. " First, Mason, you'd be happy to know that the bank has been succesful in tracing and retrieving almost all of your money. You and your Miss have to be at the bank to do some paperwork, this Thursday, around three p.m. if that suits you. "

" I'll check that later on with 'my Miss', thank you. "

" Second, we haven't been able to locate your Miss' rings, I'm afraid. I'm very sorry 'bout that. But, you can replace them I suppose, though I don't know about the emotional value of the ones she had. "

Mason smiled. " It's a very nice opportunity to get her new rings, and we'll add the emotional value along the way, Brock, like we did before. Don't worry. She doesn't anyway. "

" And last, most important, gentlemen, Jennifer Parker. Now, we did manage to find the ambulance that was supposed to take her to the hospital, but no Jennifer Parker. Couple of guys saw her limping out of the ambulance and getting into a taxi. My men are checking that story as we speak ... "

" I wondered, Perry … " Drake hesitated to ask.

" What, Paul? "

" How come Della didn't recognize her? I mean, I had only seen her once during the Robertson's case, and I remembered her. "

Ken snorted. " Yeah, well, you're male, Paul. And she is a beautiful girl. "

" Don't forget, Paul, during the Robertson's case, her hair was reddish, and she looked like a young schoolgirl. When she was around Della this time, she had dyed her hair black, and she wore a lot of make up. " Perry said. " So, it was actually a miracle _you_ recognized _her_. "

" It probably saved my sorry soul I recognized her. " Drake remembered his encounter with her, and the way she had reacted when he had said her name.

" Her role in this is an awkward one, Brock … " Perry mused.

" I agree, couns'lor, and it appears things are even more complicated here. You see, Jennifer Parker's real name … "

" … is Jennifer Michaels. We already found out about that. D.A. Reston told us. " Drake added.

" Nooo, Mr. Drake. That's where you're wrong, that's where all of us went wrong. "

" What do you mean? "

" Her real, real name is Jennifer Robertson. "

" What? " Ken sat up straight.

" You're not telling us she is actually related to Glenn Robertson, now are you? " Paul frowned at the suggestion.

" Yep. She is. As a matter of fact … she is his daughter. " Brock raised both his hands as he saw the three men simultaneously opened their mouth to comment on what he had said. " But … she doesn't know. " He inhaled. " And, Mr. Robertson liked to keep it that way, so when our dr. Michaels found out about it, he had the perfect way to blackmail Robertson to help him fetch your Della Street last Friday. "

Ken was the first to get his head around it. " But why did Michaels want Della, lieutenant? "

" Well, he said and I quote 'I wanted to have the perfect mother for my daughter'. "

" But she's not his daughter, you just told us. "

" Apparently, but we're still investigating on that, Mr. Robertson gave the girl away so to speak, to dr. Michaels' wife when Jennifer was a couple of years old. "

Silence filled the room, before Drake let out the question that was in his mind. " Is she Laura's daughter ? "

" No. " Perry answered too quickly.

" Mrs. Laura Robertson was not able to conceive." Brock added.

Perry just nodded silently.

" So she can't be Laura Robertson's daughter, but she very definetely is Glenn Robertson's. "

" Pfiiieuw. " Drake just whistled. He thought about the song he had hummed jokingly this morning, about Mrs. Robertson.

A soft strangled sound reached the ears of Perry Mason. He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes.

" What's that? Della? " Drake queried.

" Yes. It's Della … " Perry had left their bedroomdoor ajar, so he could hear her if she needed anything. He stood up. " I'll go and check on her. "

She was still asleep, but slept restlessly, tossed and turned. He sat down next to her on the bed and gently shook her shoulder. " … Della … "

" Perry … "

" I'm here, baby … "

" I just … " she sighed and fell asleep again, holding his hand. The temptation to lay down next to her, was strong enough to give in to. Silently moving his broad form against the pillows, he pulled her up into his arms. She moved to mold her body against his automatically, and put one leg over his thigh, her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder.

He planted a few soft, slow kisses in her hair. " I'm here and I love you. "

Softly stroking her back with one hand he pulled up the blankets to cover them both, and drifted off to sleep with her, while he heard the voices outside the bedroom finish their meeting.

" So guys, that's it. I take it your Mr. Mason fell asleep? He never came back from checking on his Miss. " He turned around at the frontdoor. " Are they …. Is she …. I mean, they've been together forever. I keep saying 'Miss Street'. Isn't she 'Mrs. Mason'? "

" Of course. " Drake said.

" Though they never married. " Ken added.

Brock shook his head, and chuckled.

" You know, Brock. I've never met people who made up so many excuses for not getting married. " Drake started. " Like, they say they were never able to fully agree and decide who to invite to the wedding. "

Ken remembered some of his conversations with his employer from the last three days, involving this aspect of his life. " And, they always thought that probably someone will be killed at the wedding, because that's what always happens if they are somewhere. "

" And, eh … Della believes he'll get lazy when they are married, and he won't date her anymore like he does now. She still wants him to court her. And then he says they are in court all the time. And then she says: that's why. " Drake chuckled.

Ken continued. " Another one is that they still can't decide whether to be either Mr. and Mrs. Street, or Mr. and Mrs. Mason. What was the other reason, Paul? I know they had made up another one. "

" Yeah, Della once said Perry just liked the idea of having an unmarried woman in his bed. " Drake laughed out loud now. " And after two glasses of red wine, he admitted it ... "

The priceless grin on Brock's face grew wider and wider. It was about as priceless and wide as Mason's, who overheard the conversation and squeezed the unmarried woman even closer to his chest.

" It's just the game they like to play. " Ken yawned, shaking hands with Brock. " I'm sorry, I'm really tired now. Thanks, Brock. "

" Well, I'm off home now. I might still know the way. "

" Thanks, lieutenant. " Drake greeted.

" You too, fellas. Take care. My sergeants outside here will do that as well. "

Ken closed the frontdoor behind Brock, went to check the Mason's bedroom and then followed Paul into the kitchen.

" Do you want a drink or something? " Paul yawned. " Do you think we should wake the old man up, to go over all of this once more? "

" No, thanks, no drinks for me." Ken declined. " And Perry is fast asleep with Della. I don't want to wake them up. "

" Ha. Wrapped up around eachother, so you can't wake up the one without waking up the other ? "

" Yeah, kind of … How do you know ? " Ken scratched his neck.

" It's just how they sleep. It's how they have been sleeping for as long as I remember. " Drake mused.

" You know them well, don't you? " Ken asked him.

" Yeah. Some people have a second pair of glasses, I have a second pair of parents. " Though Paul tried to make it sound businesslike, it didn't quite come out the way he wanted. He swallowed hard.

Ken mused with him. " That's what happens if you have them around, I suppose. I even have to watch myself saying 'mum' to Della sometimes. You go check on them again, and close their bedroomwindow. I check the outside doors, okay? "

" Sure. "

As Paul Drake jr. opened the door to the bedroom, he pursed his lips at the sight of them. Indeed, he saw exactly what he had expected. Perry's left arm around Della, her head on his upperarm, her face sidewards against his chest. His chin on her head, his right hand holding her left hand in between them. Underneath the covers, hidden from the detective's eyes were a pile of legs, possibly entangled.

He silently closed the window, and looked at the resting couple once more. Touched by the reassuring thought that some things indeed would never change, he pulled up the blankets some more to cover them. He smiled at the sight of his father's best friend. The big attorney was still fully dressed.

" Never thought _I _'d be pulling up _your_ covers one day. " He whispered, it was a thought that just broke away.

" Me neither. " Perry didn't open his eyes, just smiled.

" Sleep tight, Perry. "

" Thanks, Paul. For everything. "

" Goodnight. "

####

He was still in the kitchen an hour later, when he heard soft footsteps approaching. He stopped breathing for a few seconds to be able to listen closely. Then he exhaled, because the footsteps were familiair.

" Are you still awake, Paul ? " Della walked into the kitchen.

" I'm off to bed now. Well, off to the couch. I just phoned Linda, to say everything is fine. I told her we've found you. " Trying to hide a sob, he accepted Della's embrace, though he had never thought he would actually hold her while she was wearing her robe. Well, Perry's robe. Yet he did. She was the closest he'd been to a mother for a long time. " She says hello to you by the way. "

" Paul … dear … " Della whispered to him. " Thank you for helping us. For finding me. "

" You're so welcome. " His choking voice touched her. He was the closest she'd ever been to a son.

" You're not teling me everything, are you? " Della queried his face, while he looked away from her.

He chuckled softly. " No one can keep secrets from you, right ? "

" Well, you can't anyway. And your father couldn't. "

" I still need you as a mother, you know that? " he smiled boyishly.

" Yes, I do. " She pecked him on his cheek. " Now, and as your mother, I know you're not telling me everything about Linda and you. " She tilted her head. " Are you? "

He gently put his hands on her shoulders. " How would you like to be a grandmother as well? "

She bit her lowerlip. " Oh, Paul. That's wonderful, that is so wonderful. "

####

She had been sitting next to Paul, talking with him, about his fears and doubts, his happiness, until he had fallen asleep, litterally in the middle of a sentence.

Pulling up the covers of her own bed now, a smile formed on her lips. Though she hadn't noticed before, Perry was still fully dressed.

His sleeping form gave her full opportunity to take him in silently. Yes, there was a lot of him. He was heavy nowadays. She had told him before that she believed he ate his cases, swallowed the evil and harm to be able to deal with it, and move on. To take it away from the rest of the world. So very Perry Mason. The firm set of his jaws was softened by the sight of his closed eyes, and his deep breathing. She had a lot of him to love. While very gently unbuttoning his shirt, she couldn't help herself and played with the grey chesthair that was exposed by her sensitive fingers.

Too concentrated on her delicate task to undress him without waking him up unless really necessary, she didn't immediately notice his left hand stroking her thigh lightly, travelling upwards. It was his short soft moan that made her aware, at the moment her hands opened his belt, and he squeezed her thigh.

" Perry … " she whispered.

" Shhh … " he hushed her.

" What? "

" I'm asleep. "

" U-uh. Of course. "

" I am, you know. "

" So your hand is just moving by itself … ? "

" Mmm-mmm. Sleepwalking? Sleepmoving? "

She chuckled softly. " Well, whatever it is, stop it. "

" Just for the record, Della … " he pouted. " _You_ are undressing _me_. "

" So? I thought you would be more comfortable without your clothes on. "

" I'd say. "

" I mean, for sleeping. "

" That might be so ... "

" But? " She leaned forward.

" … I want you back in my arms. "

" I'm working on that. I do want you to hold me, but not if you're fully dressed in bed. " She leaned forward some more. " It's so much nicer to feel your skin to mine. "

He inhaled sleepily. " What time is it anyway? "

" Just two a.m. "

He stole a short kiss, before she worked his pants of his legs, and reached out behind her to fold them neatly over a chair. Her stretched figure gave him full opportunity to carres her waist and belly, upwards to just below her breasts.

Her hands pushed his away from the curves he was fondling so eagerly. " Don't. The men are here, remember? "

" Mmmm? " He brought his hands back to where they were before, and pulled her half on top of him.

" Ken and Paul are here. " She managed to get it out between two of his deep kisses.

" So? They're not in this room and they are asleep. "

" I don't want to scandalize them. "

He snorted. " As if they still can be scandalized … But you'll just have to be silent then, Miss … "

" I don't think I can. "

" You want to find out? " Before she could think of a solid retort, he pushed her to lay on her side, and possessed her mouth as if it had been weeks since he last tasted her. Both hands held her face in a perfect angle to kiss her deeply.

She moaned extensively, bringing her hands over his, pushing herself to him.

"Baby… " his voice was hoarse, " If this is what just a kiss is doing to you, then I agree we'd better stop. "

" Perry, this was not 'just a kiss', and I told you so. "

He smiled at her, and lay on his back, pulling her to him.

" Perry? " she dwelled in his arms.

" Mmm-mmm? "

" Nothing. " But she tensed, clung to him, tried to hide in him.

" Then nothing is definetely bothering you very much. Talk to me. " His soft stroking should feel comforting, maybe even arousing, but apart from tired, she felt cold and some sort of afraid. Yet this was her own bed, and her own Perry Mason holding her in his warm arms. She knew she had to get rid of the frightening images in her mind, the eerie shivers that went up and down her spine, and she knew how to make that happen.

" I need you. " It came out as a choking whisper. " I want Emmett Michaels out of my system. I want the last days out of my system. "

He held her back to watch her eyes in the dim light. " What did he do to you, Della? You keep telling me he didn't touch you, but it seems to me he did, somehow. "

" It was just … " She shivered. " It was awkward, sickening. I don't even have the right words for it. He could have done anything to me, Perry. He was so much stronger than me. He could have … " Her arms tensed around him. He felt her swallowing hard, and just tightly wrapped his arms around her.

" But, he didn't, right? " She shook her head against his chest, and shivered again, this time less intense. Focussing on the light stroking of his hand on her back, she tried to feel safe.

" The doors were unlocked, Perry, I could have walked out of there anytime, but I didn't. I couldn't. "

" Why? "

" He said he would kill himself if I walked out. "

" That's a harsh game he played with you, Della. But just a game. And you know he really would be the only one responsible if he really had killed himself. " He kissed her temple. " And you did walk out when Amy came to fetch you. "

" Yes, I wondered about that. It was probably because she seemed to know the way, and I thought I would be able to send police or paramedics up there in time to stop him from killing himself."

" You know, there weren't even bullets in the pistol. "

" I could have known. " She sighed deeply. " Thank God I'm home. "

She shivered again.

" What is it, Della? "

" I need it out of my system, Perry. I need to get rid of the images. His horid eyes, his smell, his face, his games. The feeling he was controlling me, and I couldn't help myself. "

" So, after all, I guess I should have hit him as well. "

" No, " she stroked his beard, and whispered to him. " I don't want you to hit people, Perry. Not for me anyway. "

He whispered, brushing her hair back from her forehead. " Then what is it you want me to do? " His eyes queried hers. He could guess, but guessing wasn't the right thing to do now. She had to tell him. He wanted her to say it.

" Love me. " Two tired tears left her eyes.

" That is so easy, baby. " Gently, the drops were caressed away from her cheeks.

The strong arms turned her around and gently lay her on the cool sheets, face down. " Just tell me to stop if you want me to stop. " He started at her shoulders, massaging them, leaving soft kisses where his hands had touched her. The carressings caused shivers, but this time, they made her feel warm.

" Perry … " she sighed, relaxing her head onto the pillows. All she could do was concentrate on the flowing pressure of his hands on her skin, and dwell in the warm waves it caused. Her breathing was deep, close to moaning, until his mouth reached the small of her back and went upwards again to plant butterfly kisses between her shoulderblades. That's when she cracked, crying silent tears. He turned her to face him, and took her hands to softly massage her fingers, kissing them before laying her hands on his shoulders.

He kissed her forehead, and trailed his mouth down over her cheeks, carressing the tears away. Not pausing, but taking all the time to love all of her slowly, because that's what she had told him to do. To relax her and replace last days' fear and anxiety with a sensual overload that would empty her mind. To make her able to clean. To make her able to reset.

" Perry … " her senses were indeed overloading. Her hands made circles on his shoulders and back, in the same increasing rhythm of their heavy breathing.

" I'm here, I love you, " whispering feverishly, he trailed down along her throat, towards her breasts. His hands were followed by his eager mouth, kissing, trailing, nipping sensitive skin, causing her breath to come in quick gasps. Then he moved back, upwards over her body, very careful not to crush her, but heavy enough to make her feel him completely. " Della … "

Obviously enjoying his every move, she wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed to his cheek. " … please … "

" Do you want me to stop? " His breath was hot on her neck, before he travelled downwards to worship her breasts once more.

" … no … no … don't stop … " Not the words, but the soft sighs and gasps that cuddled them spurred him on. Her hands grabbed at him, urging him to move inside her.

Time and place were no longer required, and so they vanished. Somewhere, sometime later, she moaned out loud, before shortly halting her breath, and heaved a shuddering sigh, which made him do exactly the same afterwards. Slowly bringing her back to him, he pressed his lips to her forehead, and waited silently, expecting more tears to rain on her beautiful flushed face. Instead, she laughed softly, and raised her eyes up to his.

" I was just thinking, what if I really had married today? I mean to Emmett Michaels. You would have finally had me in bed as a married woman … without marrying me … "

He chuckled along with her, relishing in her sense of everlasting brilliant humour. Utterly relaxed and warm, they lost time and place again, this time to fall asleep after a lazy kiss.

" Wake up, Perry…" But it felt as if he had just slept a few minutes.

" Wake up, Perry … "

" No. " He turned and mumbled. " Not yet. "

" You better do. " Her voice came from his right side, she hadn't been at his right side when they fell asleep. He sensed something was very wrong, but didn't open his eyes, pretending to be annoyed. " No, let me sleep. " He watched through his lashes, to explore the bedroom in the dim light.

It was definetely wrong.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

" Yes. Better. Wake up. Mr. Mason. " The shaking voice came out in quick gasps from somewhere in the darkened room. " Nice. To see. You again. "

" How the hell did you get in here? "

" The question. Is. Mr. Attorney. How do. I Get. Out … "

But that was a question he didn't expect her to answer for him. He sat straight up, and tried to discover where she was in the room exactly. Della was sitting next to him, had grabbed his hand earlier while waking him up, and now tightened her fingers around his. He turned his hand in hers, so he could squeeze it before letting go. He took a few moments to catch his breath, his heart pounding, his mind working frantically to first consider and evaluate the situation and chances, and second, to think of a solution.

The three of them being together in this room wasn't the dangerous part, the presence of the silent item in the room was. Years of experience had made him recognize the glint of steel immediately when he saw it, even heard it, very shortly. Unlike the one he had seen the night before, this gun was definetely loaded, and definetely pointed at them. From the sound of Della's quick and heavy breathing, he knew she knew that too.

Slowly, he reached behind him. " I'm switching on the lights, now, Jennifer. " _Buy time, call her by her name, ask more questions, confuse her, stay calm, distract her, buy time, buy time. _" And I put my robe on. It's next to me. "

" What. Ever. But. Stay there. " She moaned out of pain, while fluttering her lashes to get her eyes used to the sudden, yet still dim light.

" I want to phone you a doctor, Jennifer. " Della's voice was soft and worried, her gaze fixed on the blood soaked bandage around the young woman's knee.

" No! I have seen. Doctors. All my life. " Jennifer moaned. " I don't. Want. Them. "

" Someone has to take care of your wounds, Jennifer. " Della was firm.

" Who. Cares. Lady ? "

" I do. And so should you. You might not be able to walk again if you don't let anyone take care of them. "

Mason groaned. Della had moved towards Jennifer before he had been able to grab her and pull her back. _Damn it, Della. You know this is dangerous. _

" Stay. Away. From me. " Jennifer barked at Della in quick gasps. She shifted on her stool in the corner of the room.

" What's going on here? " Drake barged into the bedroom, and again, recognized her immediately. " Jeezzz ... Jennifer… "

" Oh. Yes. Paul Drake. Do. Come in. "

" How did you get in here ? How long have you been here? " He watched the gun in her hand, and then her knee, before slowly turning his eyes to Perry Mason. The steel stare was on.

" Long. Enough. To know. They are not. Married. But. Do. The things. Married people. Do. Anyway. "

Mason glanced sidewards to Della. She was wearing his shirt, the one she had taken of off him earlier that night. It made her look tiny and fragile. He swallowed.

" Yes. " Della looked at him and then turned her eyes to the floor, tightening his shirt around her. " We appear to have had an audience. "

Mason addressed to Jennifer. " I hope you've enjoyed it. "

" Not as. Much as. You. " She tried to laugh, but failed and groaned out of pain and frustration. " Damn. "

" Why are you here, Jennifer? " Drake asked softly.

" I want. Some answers. " She shifted on her stool again.

" What makes you think we have them? " Mason exchanged quick looks with Drake, who slowly walked up to Jennifer.

But she noticed him getting closer. " Stay away. From me. " She shook the gun in the direction she wanted him to go. " Go. " When he didn't, she shouted at him. " Move! "

" What the … " The bedroomdoor opened again. Ken closed his eyes shortly at the light in the bedroom, and let go of the doorknob slowly.

" Oh yes. More. Company. Welcome. "

Ken quickly scanned the room, and then very slowly sat down on the bed. " Hi. You're Jennifer, right ? "

" Is he. Your son ? " Jennifer asked Della. She shook her head.

" No. I'm not her son. " Ken answered the question and swallowed hard at the sight of the gun pointed at his face.

" Are. You sure. About that. Boy ? "

" Yeah, quite sure. "

" Why ? " Jennifer sighed the word.

" Why ? " Ken looked puzzled. " Well, I know my parents, I've been with them all my life … And, though I don't really like it, I even look like them. "

" You. Are a lucky. Son of a bitch. " Jennifer gasped. " Damn …! It hurts. "

" What makes you say that, dear ? " Drake interfered.

" Don't. Sweet talk me. " Her eyes were fierce, she was breathing quickly.

" It's a simple question. "

" I. Don't. Know. My mother. Smartass. He. Does. "

" I'm sorry about that. "

" What answers do you want from us, Jennifer? " Mason's voice softly asked, his mind still working overtime. The wounded young woman on the stool had gone through great lengths to come here, had kept silence for hours, had to be in excruciating pain now. Her message had to be incredibly important for her to go through all this. He cursed on the inside of his tired mind. Della was too far away from him to pull her to him, and it made him feel sick. Somehow, he knew this had to be about her.

Paul sensed this as well, and tried to get closer to his second mother unnoticed.

He failed.

" Stay. Away. From her. "

" Why ? "

" She. Could be. My mother. "

" That's not possible, Jennifer. " Della stated.

_Don't, Della. Don't. _

Drake and Mason exchanged quick looks again. Paul brought his hands behind his back, to give Ken signs to move towards Della.

" And. Why. The hell. Not. Lady ? " Jennifer moved her stool closer to her over the carpet.

" I can't have children. " Della answered truthfully.

" What. The hell. Does. That mean? "

" I could not conceive, Jennifer. "

" So. You. Don't have. Them. From yourself. " The gun was pointed at Della's forehead now.

" No. "

" But. You are. A mother to. Him. " Jennifer tilted her head in the direction of Paul Drake. " I saw it. You. Love him. "

" Yes. I've known him since he was born. He is the son of a very dear friend, and I love him like a son. But he is not mine. "

_Damn it, Della. Don't do this. Stop talking. Ask questions. _

" You can. Still be. My mother. If you. Want. "

" You had mothers before … "

" So? "

" What did you do to them ? "

" I killed. Them. I killed. Them "

" Why? " Mason's voice queried, softly, without giving away how anxious he was.

" Who wants. To. Know. Mason? "

" I do. "

" The man. Or. The great. Attorney ? "

" That's me, both. "

" Well. Perry. Mason. They. Left me. As garbage. " It sounded like a shriek.

" And then you killed them, and left them as garbage … " He gasped at the sight of her.

Jennifer Parker's innocent eyes, the ones he had questioned ages ago at the witness stand, were gone. " Smart. Man. " The eyes shot fire at him now. " So. Now. I am. Going to. Have to kill. Again. "

" Who? " Drake caught the awareness and extreme worry in Mason's eyes.

_Lord, no._

" You. Lady. " The gun swung back to Della again. She shivered and closed her eyes, frowning at the sensation of feeling cold steel on the skin of her forehead.

" Why? " Della's voice was soft. Her question was a sob.

_Lord, no._

" You. Should have. Stayed. Married him. "

" Why? " Delaying technique number one. _Keep her talking, keep her talking, ask questions, buy time, stay calm. _

" Emmett Michaels. Cares for me. He wants. Me to have. A mother. "

" Why? "

" I am. Worth. Attention. He taught me. " She shifted on her stool again and moaned deeply, before she was able to speak again. The gun shook in her hand. " He even. Build. The tunnel. For me. To be. Able to come. To him. In the clinic. If I needed him. "

" You are worth attention. But I don't want to be your mother. "

_Della, don't. Damn. Ask questions._

" Shut up! " Jennifer hit Della hard with the gun. She fell from the footend of the bed to the floor, as Perry reached out for her with both arms. A trinkle of blood appeared on her temple.

" You! " Jennifer yelled at Perry. " Sit. Down. "

" Why did you do that? " Paul Drake couldn't hide his anger from the young woman in front of him.

" I need. A mother. " Jennifer hissed.

" Yeah. So you just smack her, right? " He took two steps forward.

" Drake. Listen. I already killed. Two women. Who. Left. I'll kill. Again. If I have to. " Jennifer whispered, sighing the words. " I need. A mother. "

Della tried to sit up, and felt at her temple. The bleeding wasn't bad, but her head was pounding. She glanced at Perry shortly and read the strong tension in his eyes. The soft sound of sirenes in the background probably should have been reassuring, but it wasn't.

" Why kill Della, Jennifer ? "

" Because. That's what. Happens. You leave me. I kill you. And move. On."

Suddenly, her eyes grew wider, and she leaned back against the wall again.

" What. Is. That? " The sound of police sirens came closer.

" That's the police. They're coming to talk to you. " Amy's frame in the doorway surprised all of them, except Mason. He had seen her immediately ten seconds ago, when she had mouthed to him _'I phoned the police_'.

" No! " Jennifer started to shake. " No. No police. No doctors. I had. Enough."

" Just talk to them, put the gun down, Jennifer. " Drake urged, while he mover closer.

" No! " Jennifer shook her head, bringing her hands on front of her face.

" I'm sure we can work things out. "

" No! "

" You can talk to them, Jennifer. They will understand. " Drake reached out his hands to grab the gun out of her slender, shaking fingers.

" No!" The sound of running footsteps and soft voices in the hallway was interrupted by the sound of a shot echoeing through the bedroom.

" No! " the scream was Della's this time. Jennifer's fragile figure fell onto the thick carpet with a sickening sound. Della kneeled down next to her. " Oh, no … "

Drake squatted down on the other side of Jennifer and felt her throat for a pulse. He shook his head. The sudden silence was interrupted by a soft sob from Della. " … girl … "

" Damn it! " Mason sank onto the bed. " Damn … "

She crawled up to Perry's form on the bed, and reached out for him, still on her knees. Leaning forward, grabbing her arms, he buried his face in her neck. " Damn. " She cried long sobs to his shoulder, as he held her tighter to him. The thought of losing her was not something he really wanted to get used to, and now he had experienced it very thoroughly and very hard, two times in three days. " Baby … " he stroked her back, swallowing hard. A quiet sob came from deep in his chest. She pulled herself up, by putting her hands around his neck to be in a very close embrace, her shoulders still shaking. They sat interlaced, for a long time, until Paul broke their closeness silently.

" Della, she's … do you … " His choking voice revealed withheld tears. Even Perry looked up to see his face.

She sniffed. " What, Paul? "

" She's wearing your rings … do you want me to take them off? "

Della loosened her embrace with Perry and turned towards Jennifer. She took the small hands in her own, and softly rubbed the rings on the lifeless fingers. " No, just leave them there. " She whispered and sniffed again.

" You sure? "

" Yes. " She nodded firmly. " Let her have them. I wish she had understood the meaning of them to me. I wish she'd known that kind of love and pleasure. "

" She might have understood it. " Mason's voice was thick with emotion. " That's probably why she took them and wore them herself. Is wearing them. " He watched the twisted lifeless young body on his bedroomfloor. " Damn, what a shame, we could have … "

" Could have helped her? "

" Yes. With the right treatment, right medication, rest. This was so … unnecessary. " He held his face, and shook his head. " Lord ... The things people do to eachother … "

" And themselves. " Della sat down next to him, and he turned to take her in his arms again.

" Yeah, well, Perry, I believe this might have been a mission impossible. " Ken interrupted their thoughts. He held Amy to him. She just stared at the floor.

" No one is a mission impossible, Ken. No one. Don't ever say or think that again. " Though his voice sounded muffled against the fabric of his own shirt on the woman in front of him, the message was clear.

" Well, maybe except Glenn Robertson. " Della's voice added.

Mason grimaced a grin against her shoulder. " Not even Glenn Robertson, however hard it is to believe that now. "

" So, guys … here I am. Again. " Ed Brock's voice interrupted the soft conversations, as he walked into the room and stood still next to the body. " A young life like that … " He pursed his lips and shook his head, before he continued. " Guys, listen, I'm sorry, but forensics need the room for the investigation. I have to ask you to leave. "

####

As the ambulance drove off to the morgue with Jennifer's body, Brock found Mason and his private secretary in their livingroom. They were on the couch, her head on a pillow on his lap. She had stayed there after one of the paramedics had stitched the wound on her temple.

Mason's hand stroked from her waist to her hip, while the fingers of his other hand slowly combed through her hair. They spoke softly to eachother. Though she smiled to the big attorney, her fingers still held a small handkerchief.

At Brock's appearance, she slowly sat up, frowning at the pain in her head. " I take it you need my statement as well, lieutenant. "

" Nah. We've talked to your Mr. Mason here, and we took statements of Mr. Drake and Mr. Malansky. " He shook his head, watching her. " Let's just say, if you remember anything important, you tell us, Miss. Are you all right ? "

She nodded, as she whiped her face, and hesitantly touched the stitches on her temple. " I think so. It'll take some time, I suppose. I only hope this was the last time I was the target. "

" And how are you, Ed ? " Mason asked in his low voice, reluctantly taking his eyes off the lady next to him.

" Yeah, well, you know how it is, couns'lor. I hate the job sometimes … "

Perry just nodded.

" So, she killed the women. "

" Yes, she did. She killed Elizabeth Parker and the other woman, I asked you to identify because I thought it could be your Miss. It turned out to be Mary Steens. She used to maintain the gardens outside the clinic, before she was reported missing a week ago. Her body was dumped in Denver, probably the day when they came to fetch you, Miss. We've found traces of her blood in the van you were taken with. "

Della shivered again, and leaned back to Perry. He kissed her softly before putting his arms around her.

" But Brock … "

" Mister Drake … " the lieutenant turned his weary body towards the sound of Paul Drake's voice " What can I do for you? "

" Why didn't she kill Laura Robertson ? I mean, Mrs. Robertson couldn't conceive either, and she was close to Emmett Michaels for a while. "

Brock nodded. " Well, you know, Drake, first of all, in a way, she did try to kill her, by helping her to get the death penalty. I read the files of the Robertson's case you did. You were there when she admitted Mrs. Robertson had left the party, so she could have killed Luke Dickinson. "

He coughed and cleared his throat. " And, second, Mrs. Robertson never gave in to dr. Michaels' avances. Never gave the impression she cared for dr. Michaels, never took care of him. And, mind you, Miss Parker knew Mrs. Robertson was ill, and suffered from a depression, which would have made her unsuitable to be a mother. But the main thing is, it was very clear Mrs. Robertson didn't care for dr. Michaels. That was most important for Jennifer. So she didn't have to be killed right away, but when the possibility appeared, in court, she toook her chances. "

" And why me? " Della asked.

" My dear Miss Street. " Ed Brock took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. " Looking back now, I'd say that's easy. You stayed around the insane man, while you could have left him. All doors were open. In her world, that meant you cared for the man she thought was her father. She picked out the weddingdresses for you to get married in, so she knew about the intentions. And then, you ran off anyway. That was the story of her life. Liz Parker had done that, Mary Steens had done that. They had shown to care for Emmett Michaels, her father, but had left him anyway. That's how she felt about her mother. That's why she had to kill you. Eliminate you. To rule you out so to speak. "

Della had grown silent listening to the sickening truth.

" Did she know Glenn Robertson was her father? "

" No. She had adopted the thought her father was dr. Michaels, like he had adpoted the thought she was his daughter. "

" How is Emmett ? Where is he? Does he know about Jennifer yet? "

" Dr. Michaels is being treated now. He needs the right medication, the right treatment. He might even be cured. But, I'll tell him, when the time is right. "

He sighed. " And then we'll have to find out what else he has done. And why. "

He sighed again. " And then, I have Glenn Robertson to attend to, who gave up his daughter twenty years ago. I want to know why, and how. I want to know who her mother was. "

Mason inhaled deeply and blew out a long breath, before he stood up slowly.

" Some behaviour is so very difficult to understand, it's hard for me to stick to believing in the goodness of mankind. " Brock stated silently. " Harsh crimes, Mason, harsh crimes. "

" Yes. " Mason said, then looked at the lieutenant. " Why did she drive over them with a car, Ed? And why the decapitation? "

" You know, I can only guess, couns'lor. And the only one that could really tell us why, well … "

" Yes, we'll never really know, will we. "

Ed Brock sighed very deeply. He put one of his hands on the broad shoulder next to him. " Question is, couns'lor, do we really want to know ? "

" I guess sometimes we don't. "

" That's right. Goodnight, all. Well, goodmorning. I sure hope I don't have to come and see you in the next couple of hours. Stay out of trouble now, will you please? " He grinned.

Mason smiled at the lieutenant, while he took his left hand to shake it. " Goodday, Brock. Thank you. "

Shoulders sunken in from the relieving tiredness he felt, he watched Ed Brock leave the house and noticed the familair approaching warmth. She hugged his arm and lay her head against his shoulder.

" So, where do we sleep tonight ? " He asked her. " We can go to a hotel, or … "

" No. I love to be home, Perry, here, with you. We'll just sleep in the spare bedroom downstairs for now. If that's okay with you ? "

" Sure. " He lifted his arm over her head, to pull her towards him. " My home is where you are, Della. I go where you go. "

####

_Now, all that is left is an epilogue_


	16. Epilogue

_Thank you very much for reading this story, thanks for your advices, PM's and nice and kind reviews, AND also the not nice and not kind reviews of course. I've learned a lot writing this, and I've enjoyed it very much. _

_You're the best!_

_I wish you all a very nice weekend._

**Epilogue**

" So, and then he said it only took him five minutes to throw her out of his bed…" Della laughed out loud at Paul's report of last day's events. Paul glanced sidewards to Perry, who just narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

" And that makes me wondering, at his age, really Della..." Paul added, still watching Perry.

" What, Paul ? " she asked in a playful tone.

" He needs just five minutes? "

" Paul, you stop it right there….! " But Mason hid his laughter behind his hand.

" Oh, you know, Paul, sometimes it doesn't even take him five minutes… to fall asleep... " She chuckled. " He can be asleep within a few seconds. Sometimes he litterally falls asleep when his head hasn't even touched the pillow yet. "

" You see. He is not old at all … " Ken added as they all looked at the subject of their banter, to see a reaction.

" My … I can't stand this anymore. I'm off. " Perry sighed wearily, feigning annoyance. " You can all stay here, empty the liqueur cabinet or the fridge. Or both. Good luck. I'll be somewhere in this house where no one can find me. "

" I'm coming with you … " Della reached for his hand to stand up. He laced his fingers with hers.

" Please, don't go anywhere we can't find you. " Paul stood up. " I really have to catch a flight. And, I'm still tired of searching and finding you the last time. "

" You, young Paul Drake, should get used to play hide and seek. There might be someone who wants to play that game with you in just a couple of years. " Perry laughed at him with a small hint of emotion in his eyes.

" I don't think it'll be a problem, being the detective I am. Though I don't like the last excercise I had. " Della smiled softly at him. " Don't get lost like that again, please ... " Paul hugged her fiercely " … granny …"

" Bye grandpa ... "

Mason's grin was wide and dimple deep, his eyes narrowed, when he hugged his best friend's son.

" Goodbye, Paul. Take care, son. And take very good care of your Linda. "

" Let us know how you are doing… " Della whiped a tear from the corner of her eyes.

" Yeah. You too. "

Paul waved to them one last time, and climbed into the taxi, after laughing out loud while shaking the cabdriver's hand.

" Is that the same cabdriver as the one who drove you up north? " Della asked Perry.

" Yes. We're good customers, I suppose. " His arm reached around Della to pull her close. They waved together at the leaving taxi.

" We're off too. " Ken and Amy walked out of the house. " I have a client to attend to. "

" But we closed the office this week? "

" Nah. I have to go and see Bobby Spencer, he seems to be in some kind of trouble. "

" The hockeyplayer? " Della queried.

" Yes, he's in trouble with his employer, Thatcher Horton … "

" Thatcher Horton? " Perry blew out a breath. " Well, good luck. "

" You know him? "

" No. I heard of him. A lot. He is a … well, he is not easy. "

" Well, I'm not either. " Ken shook hands with Perry very firmly with his left hand.

" Good luck, Ken. And thanks again. " He squeezed his apprentice's upper arm firmly, before embracing Amy gently. " And thank you too, dear. Thank you for helping us out. "

" You're so welcome, Mr. Mason. "

" Della, I'm so glad you're back here. He is a disaster without you. " Ken whispered to her, but made sure it was loud enough for Perry to hear it.

" Thank you, Ken. Goodbye dear, we'll see you next week again. " She kissed him on both cheeks before letting go, and to fiercely hug Amy.

As the young couple made their way to their car, Della spoke softly. " It's a shame. "

" Yes. "

" I don't think they're going to make it. "

" No. They won't last very long. " Perry looked at her from the side. " Will we ? "

" What do you mean ? "

" Will we last very long? I mean, I am old, and a disaster, and … "

" They're just teasing, honey, you know that … " she hugged his arm.

" The only teasing I want right now, just involves you and me. "

" Perry… "

" Let's get inside, my lady. "

####

She went through the papers the bank had given them about the retrieved money. Leaning forward over the table, she picked up a pen, to write some remarks on the papers.

He had sat down to take in her form from behind. Though he really couldn't care less, he knew it was not appropriate at all to enjoy the view like this, so very thoroughly and so very much, the sight of her igniting all kinds of inappropriate thoughts in his mind. Some of them also involving the table.

_A dirty mind is a joy forever. _

Remembering the one liner from Paul Drake, he smirked silently.

When he had decided to fondle the curves he had just watched, he stood up to let his hands wander free.

" I didn't know we had so much money. " He leaned his chin on her shoulder from behind, to pretend he watched the documents with her. In stead he studied the texture of the skin of her neck, to decide whether to bite her or kiss her, and if he had decided about that, where exactly he would start to perform his actions.

" Minor correction: _you_ have so much money. " She shifted out of his embrace a little to pull back and watch his face from the side. " And I see you used my account … "

" Yes, I did. I was quite sure you didn't tell your kidnappers about that one. And the bank assured me it would be fine for me to use it. As long as I made sure I would refund everything I withdrew. "

She gasped. He had decided for a kiss at the hollow of her throat.

" Oh, you're so smart." She turned to be in his embrace completely, and wrapped her arms around his neck. " And so you do know how to withdraw? "

" Of course I know that. And I know how to earn, and I know how to spend. How else could I ever be able to get you presents, my lady? "

" So … " she cocked her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side. A slender finger played with the exposed skin of his chest where he had left his shirt unbuttoned " … they told you to refund everything you withdrew? "

" Yes. " His voice was low.

" Did they say uhm … _how _to refund? " It was 'that look' and the same gleam in her eyes that had made him very vulnerable at numerous moments during just the last forty years, and this time he experienced no exception to this rule.

He cleared his throat playfully. " No, Miss. But their exact words were: _' We trust you to make arrangements with Miss Street about how and when you are to refund what you withdraw from her account.'_ "

" Did they mention anything about, you know, paying in kind? "

" They didn't, but I'm sure we can come to a mutual agreement about that. And would that be with or without interest … Miss ? "

" Well, with of course. And you'd have to make it interest - ing. "

" And can I pay in terms ? And how much would you want me to pay in kind? And can I pay in let's say 'rings' ? Two of them ? "

" Do you already have them … ? " He was treated to a surprised look on her beautiful face.

" No. But I ordered them. They'll be ready this time next week. Then I'll take you to the jeweller, so you can tell me if you like what I asked them to make. "

" And, if I accept them as a refund. If that is still necessary next week. "

He roared with laughter. " It depends on how you value my … services … Miss. And, I'm sure we'll reach an appropriate agreement … "

" Do you want to reach an agreement before or after the … uhm … refund? "

" During. Simultaneously. "

She snorted and chuckled out loud at his mischief, wrapping her arms around his neck. " U-uh. "

" However, I don't mind deliberating afterwards about some details … " They were forehead to forehead, when he started kissing her lips, slowly, tasting, tantalizing softly and sultry. His breathing heavied with hers, and he pushed her against the table behind her, trailed his mouth down towards her cleavage while her hands held his head close to her. His own hands took their time to reach down and wrinkle up her skirt, and boldly caress everything they found underneath.

As his hands moved by their own record, she moaned softly to his ear. " Is this the refunding part ? Because if it is … "

His voice was impossibly low with a slight catch of a breath. " Well, Miss. This was the refunding part … and now we'll start the interest … ing part. "

" U-uh. "

He lifted her chin to look into her eyes, and whispered to her in a way she had to halt her breath for three seconds, then gasped, closed her eyes, and obeyed.

" … turn around ... "

####

Mutual agreements about refunding and interest momentarily adjourned, he had led her to the couch to pull her down with him. Now she lay her head on his chest, dwelling in her favourite spot for over forty years. His warm arms all around her told her she was really safe now. At home.

" What was it he so very desperately needed to know from me? " Perry asked her, stroking her back, leaning his head on hers.

" Him? Emmett? "

" Mmm-mmm … "

" Nothing spectacular really. He wanted to know all about you and me, and I told him how I fell in love with you and how we had our struggles, and how I knew I didn't want to be apart from you, and how I know how much I love you now. "

" You call that: _'nothing spectacular really'_ ? " Perry snorted. " And how do you know how much you love me? "

" Sometimes it's just a feeling, when I look at you, when you don't notice it, or when you stare your stare. When you work. When you perform in court. The way I can handle you when you have the concrete stare on, the way we work together, our respect for eachother. The way we dance, still, and how that makes me feel. The way you fill my nights and days. I tried to explain, Perry, but all he could think of was how to get through to me, how to make me love him. How to make love to me. While he didn't stand a chance. " She looked up to his face, and smiled softly.

She whispered to his closed eyes " And I told him about the way you fall asleep while I'm talking to you about something important and then I don't mind … " Slowly she moved his arm from her shoulder to stand up.

His hand caught her wrist. " No. Stay here. I was listening, the last word was 'chance'. "

" Right. But I really have to use the bathroom now. "

When she came back, she sat down next to his legs. " Do you know what day it is today, Perry ? "

" Thursday. "

She snorted. " I mean the date. "

" Mmmm. No. I seem to have lost track of time. "

" Third of September. "

" Really? Well … "

" Mmm-mmm. Forty-one years … "

" That calls for a celebration, doesn't it ? "

" U-uh … Do we have champaign? "

" I don't know. Check the fridge … "

He grinned widely when he heard her cry of surprise and then a loud chuckle coming from the kitchen.

Earlier, he had barely had enough time to fix the tray with two glasses, the champaign and the long vase with the one long stemmed blue rose. He had just made it back to the couch in time to pretend to be dozing still.

" I could have known … you are not only very interest ing, but also very very sweet sometimes, you know that? " She took his face in both hands and kissed him long and passionate.

" Yes, I actually do know that, because a certain someone tells me that every year around this time. It's actually the only reason I remember this date. "

He took her hands from his face, and kissed every slender finger. " And, now, I'll also never forget about it, because it's the reason we found you back. It was so smart and sweet of you to leave that date in dollars in the account. "

" Have you told them what the occassion was? "

" No."

" Good. "

" But they guessed. "

" Oh, dear. "

" Mmm-mmm. My dear too. "

Toasting with the champaign he whispered softly to her. " I love you, Della. I have loved you forever. " The kiss that followed was one to very clearly underline his statement.

" I love you more, and have done so longer." She broke the kiss to toast. " So … here's to us. "

" To us, my baby. "

The phone interrupted the start of a second kiss. Della answered it and spoke into the receiver, just inches from Perry's lips. " Yes, Ken. Just a moment, please. " She put her hand over the receiver.

" Thatcher Horton was murdered, and they've arrested Bobby Spencer for it. Will you go and see him? "

Perry sighed deeply and nodded.

" Can you come and pick him up, Ken? No, I don't know if he wants to do it yet. But he'll speak to him. Yes, we'll be staying at the Havenhurst from tomorrow on, while our bedroom is redecorated. "

When she put the phone back in its cradle, she turned to find Perry buttoning a crisp white shirt. " He'll pick you up in an hour … Back to work, Perry … I'll get you a suit. "

" Yes, back to where I belong. " He pursed his lips.

" With me. "

" With you, Della Street. With you. "


End file.
